Okaeri
by BlueKitsunebi
Summary: "I came to feel this way, because you're Sakura." Lifting his right arm, he brushed his fingers along the right side of her sternum, exactly where her heart was, and felt her pulse echo through his fingertips. Post 699 Anthology series.
1. Okaeri

**I don't own Naruto and it's characters, Masashi Kishimoto does.**

Sakura stirred restlessly, wide awake and much too anxious to sleep. She had tried to prevent the quiet from triggering memories of her ex-comrade and how long it had been since he left. But she couldn't prevent the flood of emotions from returning, just like they had been doing repeatedly for just over a year. One minute, she would be doing laundry, and the next minute, her neighbours would find her in the laundry room of her apartment block, curled up in a corner with tears dribbling down her cheeks.

Even when she was busy working in the hospital. There was no escape. One time, several months ago, she had been happily healing an injured shinobi returned from a mission, but half an hour later Shizune had found her in the stock cupboard shaking like a leaf, devastated for reasons she couldn't quite define. She couldn't remember precisely what had been going through her head, but whenever it happened it felt like a dark mist. So dark, that her entire existence felt foggy. After one of these dark mists, she found herself plagued with headaches and nausea for two weeks straight.

Anyway, during the little incident at the hospital, Shizune had somehow managed to coax her up a flight of stairs and down the corridor into Tsunade's office. Tsunade had immediately stood from her chair in shock at the sight of her, and had smothered her in a maternal embrace. Apparently Tsunade, upon hearing about Sakura's strange behaviour, had contacted the Hokage, and Sakura was immediately called to his office. Kakashi, being her former sensei, wanted to do right by his ex-student and had been quick to suspend Sakura from missions and hospital work.

"Why?!" Sakura had yelled, outraged at how patronizing they were being. The humiliation would kill her. And besides, she felt perfectly functional. They also happened to forget that she had the damn right to go to work. "Under what basis?!"

Kakashi, just smiled at her from under his mask and raised both his hands defensively, in an attempt to calm the hot-headed shinobi. "Sakura" he had said, gently, "I wouldn't do this unless I felt that you needed it. Tsunade isn't just good at physical healing, she also has some in-depth psychological knowledge. So, as the Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, I'm suspending you from all missions and work, until I say otherwise, under the basis of Depression"

The word had pained Kakashi as he said it. Especially since he knew the underlying cause was one of his other ex-students. A black haired Uchiha, to be precise. He hated seeing Sakura as broken as this. She was like a daughter to him, and maybe, he thought, these protective feelings are because she reminds him distinctly of Rin. Sakura, naturally, had tried to protest further, and opened her mouth with a holster of insults ready to fire and spit at him. But before she could lunge and screech in his face, he was holding open the door and ushering her out. And he managed to do it fast enough, that she didn't get the chance to kick him in the crotch.

So now here she was, lying in bed, labelled throughout Konoha as the depressed, pink haired, suspended kunoichi. It was easily gone midnight, and yet she still couldn't seem to get a wink of sleep. It wasn't an unusual occurrence either. She wasn't blind to the dark circles under her eyes that never seemed to disappear no matter how much makeup she rubbed into them. Turning on the mattress, she lay flat on her back and stared at the ceiling aimlessly. She closed her eyes, trying to think deeply about anything in particular, in hope that her thinking will lull her to sleep somehow. However, her thoughts started to merge into memories. Memories of Sasuke, and the moments before he left Konoha again.

* * *

_"I'll see you soon…" he had said to her, in his usual controlled voice, yet with a slightly hushed tone, so that no one could eavesdrop on their private moment together. He raised his right hand – his only hand – and tapped her lightly with two fingers on the pale skin of her forehead. She peered at him with eyes wide and cheeks flushed with red, as she saw the affection behind his dark dark eyes that stared penetratingly into hers._

_"And thank you…" he practically whispered, mimicking their encounter the first time he left Konoha._

_She immediately understood the weight of those words, and the silent meaning that they held between them, and them only. No one could ever see how special she felt, with the knowledge that she had this private connection with him. Nobody else in Team 7…In Konoha...In the world…knew about the secret meaning behind these particular words between them. Just her and Sasuke…and she really, really liked that thought._

* * *

Her eyes snapped open again, and immediately filled with unshed tears. She missed him. She missed him more that she would like to admit. She knew, deep down, that he would definitely come back one day when he was ready to, and that he needed this journey of redemption. He didn't feel whole with himself again, and Sakura didn't blame him for leaving. But, it had been over a year, and she wouldn't be human if she didn't hold doubts of his lingering promise from time to time.

Sluggishly, she rose from the bed, exited her bedroom, trudged through her living room and closed the front door behind her. She descended the stairs, not caring about anything else except those precious memories that she held on to. Exiting the building, she shivered as she padded along, barefoot and clothed in nothing but a violet camisole and navy blue shorts. She plodded slowly through the streets of Konoha, not caring if her feet were now caked in brown earth dust. The whole village was dead, like her. Sakura was dead. She was no longer the hyperactive fangirl of twelve years, that she once was. She didn't even look at the buildings on either side of the street, instead concentrating on the road continuing into the distance, leading out of the village.

As she walked, the brown earth became smooth grey stones, and her eyes narrowed when she saw _that_ bench not too far in front of her…twenty feet away...ten feet away…three feet away, she thought, as she collapsed onto the bench, lying with her head against the arm rest and her feet on the other side. Yet again, Sakura closed her eyes, ignoring the cold breeze that prickled her bare skin, and savouring the memories of _that_ particular teammate.

_Sasuke-kun_…she thought, as she steadied her breathing.

And there it was.

A flare of chakra.

Sakura's eyes snapped open, as she peered around in panic. She was being watched. She knew it. Not just by the small burst of nearby chakra, but by the creeping paranoia in her mind. Although she was wary, she was aware of her shinobi abilities, and knew that she could destroy her stalkers by throwing one punch to the ground and watching as they tumbled into the crater that it left. A snap of twigs from the trees opposite told her that the onlooker was purposely making their presence known. No decent shinobi would simply allow a twig to snap and reveal their position. Her previously tense muscles relaxed a little, as logic told her that if they wanted her to hear them approaching, they had no intention of attacking her.

Twigs continued to snap, growing louder as a dark silhouette emerged from inside the trees. She stared at it, as it paused to stare back at her, before shuffling ever closer and into the moonlight. Her lips parted in surprise when the light shone on a young man with dark hair, wearing ragged and worn clothes and severely lacking a left arm. If she had any doubts to who he was, one look into his intimidating black eyes confirmed his identity, as they bore into hers, taking in her changed appearance.

"Tadaima." He mumbled.

She remained mute for a couple of seconds, her eyes still wide and staring, as if she was chilled to the bone with the fear that speaking would wake her up from such a beautiful dream.

"Okaeri." She whispered.

There was a silence for a minute, consisting of Sakura and Sasuke merely staring at eachother. Sakura, in disbelief of his return. Sasuke, with a sombre countenance at the sight of her physical changes. He could see from the trees that she was thin. Malnourished to the point that her clothes hung looser and he could see the outline of her ribs through her camisole. Now that he was closer, he was aware of the dark bags under her eyes from insomnia, and how her once bright and healthy pink hair had become limp and dulled. He saw the dirt on her feet and the goosebumps on her skin, and realised that she probably didn't care if she died of cold out here. Frankly, her decline in health was the last thing he wanted to see. He wanted her to live a normal, happy life until he returned, but he couldn't hold off the annoying swirl of guilt in his stomach that his absence had left scars on someone he cared about. As one of his precious people, he couldn't stand the thought of her crying over him.

_But that's what she was doing just now_, he reminded himself grimly, mentally wincing at the thought.

Sakura rose from the bench, and took small, unsteady steps towards him, eyes unblinking and abnormally large. She quivered slightly in the cold, before stopping when she was literally less than a foot away. Her face was lifted to his, and she raised her hands to gently tap and touch the features on his face._ Reassuring herself that she's not dreaming_, he thought, as he looked into her glassy green eyes that were searching his with desperation that he wasn't a hallucination. Her ice-cold fingertips lightly brushed his nose, eyebrows, cheeks and lips, sending a series of shivers down his spine.

"Sasuke-kun?" she breathed, thinking that if she heard his voice, then she would feel certain that he was actually here.

"Aa" he muttered, before using his single arm to wrap his cape around them both, pulling her back to the bench to sit together. He was well aware of the awkwardness in such actions, since he had always distanced himself from Sakura somewhat, but even he had enough morality to share his cape with a shivering girl wearing nothing but pyjamas. He was never good with words, and she knew it, but he would at least try and give her an explanation for his return. She deserved at least that much. But he wasn't used to being huddled in a cape with a girl wearing nothing but a camisole and shorts, and as a result, he felt his nerves jump up every time she shifted a little beside him, on the icy stone.

"Kakashi…he sent me a message with his dogs." he spoke slowly, answering her unsaid questions. "He told me…he told me that you had been suspended from all ninja activities because of Depression."

She turned away from his face. Half because she was ashamed that he knew about her deteriorating mentality, and half because she was embarrassed that she was close enough to feel his heat and his expanding chest when he breathed.

"Sasuke-kun…" she whispered, her words drifting off with the breeze. Her thoughts were so incoherent, that she couldn't seem to place them in enough order to create meaningful sentences. And yet, right at that moment, his being felt like the only inherently precise thing in the entire world.

"He also told me" he continued, interrupting her with a somehow stoic yet scowling expression, "that you didn't think I was going to come back"

She grimaced, despairing that she had practically betrayed him. He didn't deserve to be betrayed. Of all people, she should've known that. The guilt settled at the base of her stomach, like a heavy lead weight. For his sake, she could've tried harder.

Sasuke made a "tsk" under his breath, "I have to say, Sakura. I never thought you, of all people, would have such little faith in me"

"I'm sorry" she hushed, "I know that you stick to your word, but I couldn't help but think sometimes, that you had left us for good." She paused, "I've had the most stupid fears that Team 7 will never be together again like we used to be, and that you would leave me, Naruto, and Kakashi-sensei even though we're all okay now"

"Sakura" his face was an unreadable blank void, as he stared at the ground in deep thought, "Do you remember what I said to you just before I left Konoha again?"

Sakura gave him a look like he was dumb, "I would never forget, Sasuke-kun" .She recalled what she had been remembering earlier that night, and smiled, "you said, 'I'll see you soon' and then you poked my alien forehead and said 'thank you'"

Sasuke's face flickered with a quick smirk, in gladness that she had warmed up a little at his return. She wasn't crying anymore, and that could only be a good thing. With Sakura, that was _always _a good thing.

"I.. I want to thank you again", he told her, unsure of his own words. This was his stupid awkwardness creeping in, just at the times when he needed it to remain at bay.

She frowned, "Why?"

He looked away from her, hiding his nerves, "for everything that you did for me. You and Naruto. Back then" he paused, glaring at the memory, "I was just sinking deeper into darkness. There didn't seem to be another way. Darkness, it was the only thing I could see…but you…" he trailed off, not used to expressing feelings so much.

Her large green eyes analyzed his face, pressing on, "but me…"

His face softened from a glare into a smirk-smile. She couldn't tell which it was more like.

"But you - annoyingly - kept shining the light on me…and I'm...I'm grateful for that" . He muttered the words under his breath. Who would've thought that he could find it in him to say such embarrassing things.

The corners of her mouth turned up into a small smile and her eyes watered with tears that leaked from her eyes and ran down her face. She was happy. He was grateful and she was happy. He took a minute to compose himself and attempt to calm his nerves. He wanted to do this, and he didn't want anything as stupid as nerves to hold him back. _You can do this_…he thought..._you're an Uchiha_…

Calming his heartbeat and clearing his mind of all other thoughts except those of the present, he turned back to her. He allowed himself to let go of the cape for a second, and it fell away from their shoulders. Sakura gasped in surprise as she glanced at the fallen cape, before noticing his only hand which he had lifted to hold her bangs back from her face, exposing her dreaded forehead. Her breath halted in her throat, as he leaned towards her, pressing his lips to the cold skin of her forehead. She felt her face crumple as more tears spilled from her eyes. She couldn't believe that Sasuke Uchiha was kissing the one part of herself that she hated. She had always been so self conscious of her large forehead, and he knew that, but now here he was, kissing it. Her heart suddenly filled with the wonderful bright red nostalgia of her genin days. Although she had originally claimed that her dream was to be Mrs Uchiha, her dream was warped until she merely wished for him to acknowledge her, along with her faults. That was her true dream, and now here, at this moment in time, he was making it a reality.

He pulled away from her head, burying the lower part of his face in his palm, trying to hide the nervous dark pink spreading slowly across his pale cheeks.

"I still love you Sasuke-kun" Sakura whispered, feeling happier than she had in so many years.

Sasuke smirked from behind his hand.

"...You're still annoying"

**A/N: my first one shot, so feel free to correct any grammar mistakes, comment or criticise etc... Constructive criticism is welcome too. Thanks for reading, by the way. Also, this was really glitchy when I first posted it, and I want to apologise for that. It was because I was literally just new to the site, and had no idea what I was doing.**


	2. Coming Home

**A/N: crazymel2008 requested that I do a one shot from Sasuke's POV involving his feelings during 699. Unfortunately, I kind of couldn't do the 'time-skip after 2 years' because I have to keep this within the theme/story of my little series, so I hate to dissapoint, and I changed the chapter order to have it make slightly more sense. But this has barely any speech in it, since it largely revolves around Sasuke's inner feelings (because he's so quiet, who wouldn't want to know what he really thinks?) So, yeah, I kind of tried to do my best with this, so if there are any mistakes in spelling or word order etc... please tell me in the reviews because I'm a grammar freak. **

**crazymel2008, please don't hate me for not doing exactly what you asked :( **

He wasn't sure what to expect when Kakashi's dogs appeared out of the blue. One minute, he was simply strolling out of a village, having assisted an elderly couple in fixing a hole in their roof, as part of his redemption. Fixing, and not destroying. The next, he was surrounded by four-footed companions of varying size and breed. They peered at him, pensively, as if they were on the verge of having something to say, but couldn't seem to fathom the correct words to say it. The tiny pug with a Konoha forehead protector seemed to flicker something in his memory. He'd seen it before during his Genin days, back when he was desperately trying to uphold a battle with the half-transformed Gaara. He frowned in confusion at the little dog, which stared at him, with a forever sombre expression. What was its name again? _Pukan? Pekun? Ah, Pakkun, that was it. _

"Uchiha Sasuke" the pug spoke, breaking the awkward silence, "We have been sent to you by Kakashi to deliver a message – no – a request, regarding your teammate"

Sasuke's frown grew deeper, as his features darkened, "My teammate? What's Naruto done now?"

Pakkun shook his furry little head, "No, not Naruto. I'm talking about the kunoichi, Haruno Sakura."

_Sakura? _A jolt of something indefinable ran like electricity through his previously aching muscles. What could they possibly request of him regarding Sakura?

Although he didn't show it often, he sincerely cared about her from the bottom of his heart. No, she wasn't his best friend, as Naruto easily slot into that place in his heart, but it could be said that his feelings regarding Sakura weren't simply platonic. Even _he_ could admit that to himself, however he would never say that out loud. Especially not around Sakura herself or the Dobe. He never used to bear these feelings, but ever since their mission in Land of the Waves, he had been moved and yet surprised somewhat, by the extent to which she had mourned his death. He had felt, for the first time in so long, that someone actually appreciated his existence more than as a teammate. From then on, she had never failed to remind him of her ongoing affection for him, being the light which yanked him forcefully out of his darkness. And maybe…even if it pained him to say this…she wasn't as literally annoying as she was at first…she just annoyingly kept stirring up affectionate feelings within him that he couldn't fully understand…and maybe, it made his insides bubble with happiness whenever she devotedly referred to him as 'Sasuke-kun'.

His eyes focused intently on the tiny ninja-dog, as if to pry for more details.

The dog took note of his intensity, and reported "Kakashi has sent us to notify you on the mental state of Haruno Sakura" He paused, trying to muster the words in his mouth "Her levels of work-related stress, combined with her 'missing' you given the lengthy time you've spent away from Kohona, has resulted in Sakura developing a form of Depression"

Sasuke felt his eyes widen slightly, in paralysing shock, particularly when Pakkun referred to Sakura missing _him_. His breath caught in his lungs, as a deep ache spread within his chest. Sakura had always brought out the protective urges within him, even before he really acknowledged her, back when he jumped in front of her and Tazuna, arms spread wide, his expression determined. Emotional pain and conflict surged through his veins at the thought of hurting her…_again…always hurting her. _

But, a part of his being lit up in betrayal at her lack of faith. She had always had so much faith in him, never disappearing or wavering. It was her extreme faith in him that brought him back to her. And somehow, _she_ of all people, would believe that he had abandoned her. Why would her faith crumble now? He sighed, mentally, realising that Sakura was only human. Although she was beautifully strong, both physically and emotionally, there was only so much she could take. The mere thought of her tears for him sent a shiver down his spine.

Sasuke nodded grimly at Pakkun, before turning in the general direction of Konoha and springing up to the nearest tree branch that was large enough to support his weight. The herd of ninja dogs exploded in a puff of smoke, leaving only Pakkun remaining with the Uchiha. He began his journey leaping from branch to branch, as Pakkun provided him with even further details that he was only half-listening to. But, the same word – the same name – repeated desperately on a continuous loop in his mind, _Sakura…Sakura…Sakura…Sakura…_

He had last seen her at the village gates, as he left for his journey of redemption. Hoping that she would understand his reasoning, he gently rejected her plea to accompany him.

* * *

_"This is a journey of redemption for me" he explained, trying to tone down his voice, so that she wouldn't get the wrong idea that he disliked her company, "you have nothing to do with my sins"_

_No, she wasn't a sin in the slightest. In fact, the only sin that he could possibly relate to Sakura, was his previous attempts to annihilate her, which would never fail to evoke sharp pangs of guilt in his stomach whenever he cast his mind back. Sakura was…precious. She was precious to him in a strangely different way to Naruto. _

_His breath juddered slightly, as she peered down toward her feet, mumbling incoherently in disappointment. It only took a couple of steps until he stood before her, watching with a smirk, as she drew her head from the ground and stared at him, glassy eyed, face flushed. _

_Lifting his arm, he reached up toward her anxious face, pointing two of his fingers before gently prodding the soft skin of her forehead…The forehead that she hated…The forehead that he loved. Previously, this was a simple, yet powerful gesture of affection strictly between him and Itachi. But having seen Sakura in a different light to how he first saw her, he felt the sudden, necessary urge to share and continue the intimate gesture with her. _

_"I'll see you when I get back", he told her, softly. It didn't matter if she didn't yet understand what the gesture meant to him and Itachi, because he would turn it into a continuous symbol of his feelings for her. So long as she knew how strongly he actually felt toward her, she didn't need to understand. _

_His smile melted, as his expression turned sincere. "And thank you", he added, observing her expression as her memories flitted back to when he first left. Yes Sakura, he thought, even back then I still cared._

* * *

He didn't remember when Pakkun first stopped talking. Maybe it was when he realised that Sasuke had stopped listening, but it didn't matter now. He had been on the road for such a long time now, and he couldn't help but think that maybe it really was time to return to Konoha, to Naruto, Sakura and all of their friends. So, as he pushed the base of his foot against the bark of a branch, launching himself through the foliage, he smirked to himself.

_Sakura, I'm coming home…_


	3. Escort

**A/N: I decided to turn my single one-shot into a series of one-shots. It was because I heard somewhere (and I don't know how accurate this is) in one of the newer novels, that takes place during the year that Sasuke stays in Konoha, whilst Kakashi's face is being carved into the Hokage Mountain, that Sasuke had gotten into the habit of escorting Sakura everywhere, no matter how short the distance. I don't know if it's true of not, but I died from cuteness overload, and that's where I got the idea to turn this into a series. **

**If I've made some mistakes, please let me know ( I lack a proof-reader or editor)**

**So, lo behold my next installation: **

Sakura ran her fingers through the strands of her hair, gently rubbing the pads together over the tips, as if in remembrance of how it came to be so short. It only felt like yesterday when she was a mere twelve year old girl, trying her best in the Chuunin exams, despite being infatuated with her handsome, yet stubborn, teammate. A small smile broke across her face, as her mind was cast back to her precious genin days.

* * *

_The sound kunoichi sneered as Sakura pulled out her kunai from her pouch with hidden confidence, "That won't work on me"_

_Sakura turned, somehow managing a grim smile despite the circumstances, "It's not meant for you"_

_The kunoichi expression changed drastically from confused to sheer shock, as Sakura reached up, and with a rip, sliced the kunai across her taught hair. The light filtered down through from the foliage above, casting speckled shadows across the dirt, and illuminating the pink wisps that softly blew, showering upon them. Her forehead protector unwound from her head, and fell with a clatter, abandoned and forgotten on the ground._

* * *

It was one of her favourite memories of the past; the moment when she decided to change, to move on from being the weak feeble girl in the background, into the strong kunoichi that she had become.

The smile still placed on her lips, she collected her bag and her paperwork for the evening, before heading on home after yet another whole day in the chaos-ridden battlefield that was otherwise known as Konoha General Hospital. And despite her leaving, the large stack of paperwork and medical forms in her arms signified that she would get around four hours of sleep…at the most. A medic's work is never done. She normally would leave much earlier, but it had been particularly stressful today, especially given her high status.

Striding through the corridors, she passed by the reception desk on her way out, beaming at the receptionist.

"Oyasumi nasai, Honoka" she called, her voice almost musical with positivity.

Honoka peered up from her typing at the desk, and nodded, smiling politely, "Ah, Oyasumi nasai, Haruno-san"

Sakura leant her forearm against the large entrance doors, pushing it open with her monstrous strength, and stepped out into the cool evening. It was nearing quarter to eleven, and the sky was as dark as navy blue velvet, littered with tiny precious stones. A few strands of her short floral-pink hair blew, in the gentle night breeze, landing ever so delicately on her face. She jerked and shook her head awkwardly, attempting to remove the annoying locks that tickled and itched her skin, but could only sigh when she reached no avail; they were fixed to her cheeks. If only her hands weren't occupied by the pesky paperwork.

Sakura took one step, before her heart halted in her chest and she stopped breathing. The sudden, light pressure of fingertips against her cheek caused her to freeze in place. She turned her head slightly to the right of her, her eyes tracing the fingers brushing the hair from her face, back up the arm to meet a pair of familiar mismatched eyes.

"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered, "What are you doing here at this time? How long have you been out here?"

His eyes flickered up to meet hers, and he lowered his hand silently, ignoring her questions.

She gave him a pointed look "You know you don't have to wait for me, and escort me everywhere. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

"Hn."

Of course. She would never get anything out of him other than a stream of grunts and maybe even an "Aa" if she was lucky. It had become a new thing now, since his return to Konoha. He would wait for her, every day, outside her apartment in the mornings, and outside the hospital in the evenings. Every day, she asked him again and again what he was doing there, and every time she was met with grunts and no actual explanation. Well, she didn't really need one; she suspected that it had something to do with guilt. Guilt at having tried to kill her several times, and causing her so much pain. She knew that he felt his apology, after his battle with Naruto wasn't enough, despite her forgiveness, and now, this was his way of truly apologizing; to make sure that he was always there to protect her instead of hurting her.

Like always, she slowly began her stroll back to her apartment and he, as per usual, stepped to her side, closely matching his pace to hers. She felt his sleeve briefly brush against her wrist, before the stack of paperwork was lifted gently from her arms.

"Sasuke-kun" she insisted, trying to retrieve the papers from his firm grasp, "you don't have to carry that. I can carry it fine. You're still getting used to your new arm, and surely you _must_ know by now that if I can destroy a battlefield, I'm strong enough to carry paper-"

"I do know."

Sakura frowned, before her face cracked into a grin "He speaks! Finally! I thought you'd forgotten your own language!"

He scrunched up his face slightly, paying no attention to her giddy rambles, "I'm already used to my new arm, and I know that you're strong now, Sakura"

She clapped her hands, gleefully, proud that she managed to break even a little of his concrete walls. leaning forward, peering up at his stubborn face, she observed his mouth muscles twitching slightly, indicating that he wasn't done speaking. And so, she waited, patiently, for him to find the courage to vocalise his thoughts, but after a few minutes of silence, she decided to step in and give him a gentle push.

"So, how long were you waiting out there? She pressed, calmly and softly.

"…you usually leave at half-past nine."

Sakura's lips parted in concern, as she gaped in shock, "You waited for over an hour? Why?" Her caring instincts kicked in and she quickly pressed her hands against his fingertips, clenched tightly over the paper, "You're freezing!"

His brows drew together, illustrating his inner struggle with himself, as he muttered "Sakura, its fine. It doesn't matter."

She shook her head indignantly, "Yes, it matters! I think I understand a little why you wait for me, but I refuse to understand why you would go so far as to stand outside for over an hour in mid-winter! You're a human ice-cube!"

"tsk" he scowled deeper, "If you understand why, then you should just let me do this. It's the least I can do to repay-"

"I don't want you to repay anything." she interrupted him, "I already forgave you, Sasuke-kun. You know that."

He stared off into the distance, clearly troubled by regret and the inner demons of his dark past. Although he knew that he had her forgiveness, it didn't feel enough. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to repay the debt.

"I'll always forgive you." she persisted, her voice lowering to a more gentle tone that never failed to soothe his turmoil, "I could never not forgive you"

He suddenly shot a glare at her, like flaming knives, halting in the middle of the street "That's stupid." He growled under his breath, "I tried to kill you Sakura…If it weren't for Kakashi and Naruto, you'd be dead. Nothing but more blood on my hands."

She shook her head slowly, placing a warm hand on his icy fingers, allowing her heat to seep into his skin "That wasn't you" she insisted, her voice merely a breathy uttering "you weren't you. The real you wouldn't have done that. You were manipulated, and confused. You were completely lost."

He could only stand in silence, watching his own fury dissolve as her words sent soothing bursts of light green energy through him, warming and dissolving his frosty anger. She always did this; found some way to neutralise the incessant pangs of pain he felt, whether it be physical - like in the Forest of Death - or emotional, like now.

She reached up, and tugged eagerly at his sleeve, sending him a smile as bright as the sun itself that lit him up from the inside "Come on. It's cold out here"

"Aa" he answered, quietly.

He took a step forward toward in the direction of her apartment, where, like usual, he would make sure she got in safely. She would invite him in for tea before he left, because he couldn't stand the sweetness of hot-chocolate. He would insist after downing his second cup, that he should leave, because she needed to rest, and she would shut the door after him. But not before she leaned up to quickly, yet affectionately, press a small kiss to his still cold cheek. And he would linger in front of the closed door, listening for the sound of the lock closing, because that sound reassured him that she was safe for the time being.

And then he would amble home, but not before lightly touching his fingertips to the skin of his cheek where she kissed him. He would feel the lasting warmth that he found there, because he treasured those kisses more than life itself.


	4. Birthday

It never occurred to Sasuke that birthdays and kisses came hand in hand. After he thought about it, on the surface it made perfect sense, but it had been so long since he had experienced such a thing. He hadn't ever mentioned his birth-date to the Dobe, or Sakura, since the topic never seemed to arise in conversation. However, he should have noticed during his check up at the hospital, when Sakura drew her thin pink brows at the clipboard in her hands, before acknowledging him, eyes afresh with new excitement and mouth turned up at the corners in a knowing smile.

So when she exited the hospital, as usual, after a long, hard day on July 23rd, and beamed gratefully at the sight of him against the building, he should have known what was to come when she hesitated, mid-street, and decided to turn down a completely different road.

He frowned, as she began steering him by the elbow, in the opposite direction than their normal route. "Erm…Sakura?" he asked, unsure of her behaviour.

She peered up at him, her expression innocent, "Yes Sasuke-kun?"

"You're going the wrong way. Your apartment's back where we just came from."

Shaking her head insistently, she replied "No, no, I want to take a detour. There's, well…somewhere I want to visit."

Sasuke couldn't even bring himself to complain, as deeply, even if he were hesitant to admit it, he relished the thought of the opportunity of extra time with his treasured teammate. And, as he began to relax the pace of his steps to match hers, he took the time to glance at her whole form, noticing the sudden change in her attire. Her hair, normally slightly mussed from stress, had been combed to a waterfall of smoothness, and her pale pink lashes that he loved, had been blackened.

_She's wearing makeup? _He realised, as his memory began to flicker back to that morning, as she emerged from her apartment, finding him, waiting to escort her to the hospital. _She wasn't wearing any makeup then_. He always found himself encapsulated by her lashes, and he often stared at them admiringly. Long, delicate, and utterly irresistible, as they cast shadows against her cheeks in startling contrast to their pallid colour. That was why he would notice immediately if there was a sudden change, like now. He figured, she must've wasted a few minutes grooming herself, like women do, before she left. Her efforts were pointless, because she didn't need perfecting. She was Sakura, either way. Pure, simple Sakura is far better than a dolled-up Sakura.

He would've said something, but his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the familiarity of the pebbled road she was taking him down. He'd seen this road before, so many times. Back in their genin days, when his heart – devoid of the bonds that he'd cast aside – had juddered momentarily at the unexpected sight of pink, a painful obstacle, blocking his path to revenge. The last time, was when he'd first returned, again finding pink. However, he'd finished where he left off, and mended the heart that he once broke so carelessly.

Sasuke's limbs grew warm with anxiety, as he realised with a jolt of electric agitation, why Sakura had insisted on taking a detour. Noticing the slight twitch of his dark brows and the stiffened posture of his fingers – the subtle signs of his secret nervousness – Sakura halted in her steps, gazing at him thoughtfully.

"Sasuke-kun." she murmured under her breath, pulling at the joint of his elbow with a soothing softness that reminded him distinctly of his mother.

Taking a deep breath and a couple of seconds, eyes closed to address his erratic thoughts, he allowed Sakura to guide them both to the stone bench that held so many irreplaceable memories. As he sat on the stone, the coldness seeping through his clothing, he closed his eyes once more in an attempt to calm the rapid rhythm of his frantic heart. He was more than aware of Sakura's presence to his right, her solid gaze fixed, unwavering, on his emotionless face, and somehow he felt that she could see through the mask, that he was a nervous wreck inside.

_She knows…She knows it's my birthday, _he thought, unsure exactly how he should react if she did something drastic. _Or she'll confess again, and she'll take it the wrong way when I won't know what to say…_

"Happy Birthday, Sasuke-kun." Sakura chimed, grinning at him like there was no tomorrow.

He stared ahead, his expression unresponsive at her predicted behaviour "Who told you? I distinctly remember not mentioning anything to Naruto."

Although he had conditioned himself not to react to his strongest emotions, he couldn't prevent the faint pink blush that stained over his nose and across his cheeks. Most likely an inevitable reaction caused by his heart madly beating against his ribcage.

Her grin melted into a small, bashful smile, before Sakura tilted her head away slightly, as if to conceal her own signs of fluttering nerves. "I may have taken a teensy tiny sneaky peak at your personal details when I was giving you that check up last week."

He turned to her, one brow raised amusedly, "You broke into my medical records?"

Her lips parted into a silent 'O' of horror, and she waved her hands wildly in front of her face, as her pink blush deepened to crimson. "No! No! No! It was the clipboard, I swear! I'm not a fangirl anymore; I wouldn't go that far. And even if I wanted to know your birthday, I would've just asked you, because I'm a normal person, not a stalker."

The corners of his lips curved upward, as he observed her insane reaction "I know, Sakura. Although I don't think the word 'normal' is appropriate to describe you."

She smacked him lightly, playfully on the arm, deepening the smirk that already played across his lips. _No, Sakura, _he thought, _not normal...'Incredible'._

At that point she turned her back to him, as she rummaged carelessly through the contents of her bag, humming a sweet melody under her breath like a lullaby. Suddenly the tune was cut short, and his eyes focused on the back of her head, as her hands slowly drew something brightly coloured from inside the fabric.

"Ano..." she began nervously, as she turned back toward him, but her eyes remained fixed on the gravel under their feet, "This is the first part of your birthday present."

"The first part?" he repeated, curiously, as she reached over and grasped his hand, before placing the small parcel in the palm.

He spared her a quick glance, analyzing her anxious expression and the strawberry blush that scattered over her cheeks. In his hand, the package felt light, and airy. _Clothes, maybe? _He wasn't used to receiving presents, and his hands were hesitant in prying open the edges of the folded wrapping paper.

Sakura's eyes shifted to and fro, focusing on anything but him, as he lifted the last of the paper, to reveal a pair of navy and black woollen gloves. Lips parted in surprise, he tilted his head to peer at her, his words caught in his throat.

"Back at the academy" Sakura explained, her voice wavering a little, "They taught Kunoichi how to act like civilian women, should they be doing an undercover mission. One thing that they taught us, was how to knit."

Sasuke's fascinated dark eyes widened slightly at the mental image of Sakura sat on her couch, knitting for him. "You made these yourself?"

She nodded, "At first, I had no idea what I could possibly do for your birthday, since you don't really like anything…except tomatoes, and giving you tomatoes was out of the question."

He smirked once again, agreeing with a small "Hn."

"But then I remembered that every night when you walk me home, your hands are always freezing from waiting for me…and it makes me feel kind of guilty for not finishing earlier." Sakura's hands fidgeted in her lap "So I made you some gloves, so that you're not so cold because of me."

He stared at the soft interweaves of wool in his hands, with a tiny – yet grateful – smile blessed across his face, as he was once again reminded of how much warmth and sweetness she provides in his otherwise bitter existence.

Lifting his new left arm, wrapped from bicep to fingertips in white bandages, he added "You're forgetting that I can't actually feel the cold in this arm."

She laughed nervously, a musical sound to his ears, "I figured that it'd look odd if you only wore one."

Sasuke shifted closer to her, and raised two fingers, gently prodding the tips against her unusually wide forehead. "Arigatou, Sakura"

The strawberry blush on her pale skin deepened once more, as she stared up at him, green eyes wide and glassy with emotion. Suddenly, her trance somehow broke, and she began fiddling with the seams of her clothes in anxiousness.

"Like I said before, that was the first part of your present." She uttered, only loudly enough that he could hear it, despite nobody being around them at that time of night.

His brows drew together, "And the second part?"

She turned to him, almost jittery "The second part is this…"

All at once, he realised why she had been demonstrating such obvious and uncontrolled signs of nervousness. At first, the nasty corner of his brain – which he prefers and endeavours to ignore – suggested that she had somehow travelled back in time, and re-adopted her 12 year old fangirl brain. But he now realised that it wasn't the gloves that were the cause of her odd behaviour. It was this.

Her hand reached up to gently hold the curve of his jaw, as she gradually leaned in closer to his body heat, and delicately pressed her pink lips against his in a light and breezy kiss.

He didn't move. Hell, he didn't even respond. Not because he didn't enjoy the feeling of her skin against his in such an intimate gesture, but because as soon as her lips brushed his, his breathing faltered in his lungs, along with all sense of logical reasoning. His nerves jumped like a bolt of lightning, seemingly rendering nearly every effector for his neurones, completely and utterly useless.

As she pulled away, she took one glance at his stiffened, unmoving expression. "I know you like it when I kiss you on the cheek before you leave" she laughed, her voice trembling slightly, "You touch your hand to your face where I kiss you. I can see it from my bedroom window." Her voice lowered slightly at the very end of her speech, before she continued in an even lower tone "The first time I saw it, was by accident. But then I started waiting by the window to watch you touch your face. It makes me happy that you appreciate it so much."

Something snapped inside him, and he sprung to life at those words, grabbing the sides of her face with both hands and a slight roughness, as he slammed his lips against hers in a searing, passionate kiss. His heart danced wildly in his chest, as his right hand slid to her hair, grasping at the smooth pink locks and she responded to his plea with equal passion and emotion, scrunching her fingertips in his dark hair, her lips moving with his. He admitted, it was rather messy for his first kiss with a girl,

Without words, but with slight reluctance they both pulled away, although his hand remained clutching at the back of her head with desperation; and hers in his. Slowly, he allowed his forehead to rest against hers, eyes closed as he savoured the moment.

Minutes passed as their pulses slowed to less alarming rate, before Sakura was the first to break the silence.

"Do you like me Sasuke-kun?" She whispered, although the answer was fairly obvious.

He exhaled, "No."

The corners of her mouth tilted upward, "Do you _love_ me Sasuke-kun?"

His hand tightened slightly around the locks of her hair, "Aa."

A small, pleased sigh escaped from her lips "Does this mean that there's an 'us' now?"

He paused, "I'd be annoyed if you decide to reject me after all this time."

She grinned, uttering quietly "As if I would. I Love you too much, Sasuke-kun."

At that point in time, as Sakura leaned in once more to re-capture his lips in a celebratory kiss, Sasuke realised that Birthdays and Kisses were two halves to the same jigsaw puzzle.


	5. Date

To say that their first date was a disaster would have been an understatement. Sakura knew and understood that Sasuke's proud, dignified – if not rather arrogant – attitude held him back from openly declaring his deep-rooted affections for her. Despite loving and accepting these qualities of his, she would be lying if she were to say that she didn't harbour any jealousy toward others and their exclusively 'couple' activities. So when the rare, unexpected offer for a quiet meal, just the two of them, was raised, she couldn't resist jumping at the chance.

"Are you sure you're okay with that?" she blurted out, failing to conceal the grin that was slowly spreading across her face.

His determined gaze softened slightly as he glanced down at her.

"Aa." he replied, before slowly adding "I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't."

Her steps slowed a little, as if to prolong their ritualistic and much-savoured morning walk to the hospital, "So…when were you thinking?"

He paused, his eyes floating imprecisely along the path in consideration "Tonight. I plan on making dinner reservations today." His deep voice held a glimmer of finality, as if he wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Sakura's eyes flickered up to assess his determined expression, slightly taken aback by his eagerness to treat her. Yet at the same time, her insides swarmed with the gentle flutter of butterflies, as it dawned upon her that he genuinely wanted to spend a romantic evening with her.

Her grin deepened in response to his request "Right. Tonight it is."

The familiar sight of Konoha hospital abruptly cut short their valuable time together, and pressing a chaste kiss on his cheek, she rushed inside as duty called. To onlookers, the exchange would've seemed like a dulled romance without hefty the displays of passion, that was expected from Konoha's most unpredicted couple. But nothing could've disturbed the underlying nervous excitement, that hung in the air like static electricity between the pair.

All day, the clock hands in Sakura's office inched by, as if it were purposely tormenting her. And yet, her spirit soared as high as inhumanly possible, to the point that Shizune stared at her in fascination and wonder at what could've possibly occurred, to create such a bright and unclouded aura. Hours later, after having observed intently as the large hand of her office clock struck 6pm, she leapt from her desk practically bounding through the exit. She had already requested from Tsunade – and had been granted – the opportunity to finish hours earlier, provided that she finish the large stack of unsigned paperwork on her desk. Hell, she'd do anything to spend the evening with the love of her life, so she damned well made sure that she finished signing that paperwork.

It was vital that she looked her absolute best for Sasuke that night. Although it seemed childish and trivial – and rather Ino-esque – it was her first actual date with the man she'd opened her heart to since she was a mere child. A large proportion of her brain told her that Sasuke wouldn't care if she answered the door dressed in a bin-liner, since there was no doubt over his feelings for her after their fiery first kiss.

The flash of remembrance in her memory triggered the spread of a pink glow of the cheeks. She could still feel the soft brush of his breath as it fanned her face. The firm grasp of his strong calloused fingers as they interwove in the locks of hair at the back of her head, holding her firmly to him, as if to relish in the moment.

Sakura shook away the memory – it was not a priority – as she tumbled into her small apartment. She hastily dumped her belongings in a pile beside the pale green couch, before jumping into the hot shower. Much to her dismay, the heat of the water scalding her pale flesh did nothing to soothe her frantic nerves.

At precisely 7pm, Sasuke stood outside her door, like a raven in his one and only sleek black suit. Hands stuffed into his pockets, he waited patiently for Sakura to finish, whilst reassuring himself countless times, that he's selected the perfect restaurant for the two of them.

With a click of the door handle, Sakura finally emerged, and Sasuke's breath evaporated from his lungs. Pulling her key from her front door, she turned to him only to find his eyes transfixed on her, widened slightly, as he assessed her attire.

She looked beautiful. Like a cherry blossom glittering with morning dew and dappled in rays of sunlight, she stood before him. His dark eyes flitted to and fro, taking in the sight of her wearing the most exquisite white dress that he had ever seen, the hem falling to her knees, and scattered delicately with little ice-blue flowers that somehow accentuated the leaf-green of her eyes.

"You look good, Sasuke-kun." She interrupted the silence, her eyes gliding over his suit, "It's actually kind of strange seeing you all dressed up like this though."

"You too…really good." he muttered, tilting his head toward the staircase that led to the exit, concealing the rosy tint of his cheeks. He held out his arm for her to hold, "Let's go."

* * *

As they stepped through the doors into the dim lighting and warmth of the restaurant, Sakura immediately took note of the classy, yet relaxed atmosphere of the room. It was rather surprising that Sasuke had chosen such a beautifully appropriate location for their first date…but then again, she had only ever been on light-hearted dates with Naruto, who seemed to believe that Ichiraiku's was perfect for any kind of event, whether it be dates…or business meetings. The room was scattered with elegant tables, embellished simply with a single freesia on each table, and lit by pillar candles whose light threw a warming fiery glow against the cinnamon painted walls.

A young, blonde waitress immediately bobbed her head toward the couple, approaching them with a nervous smile at the sight of Sasuke.

"A table for two?" she beamed at him, almost completely ignoring Sakura, whose lips twitched in irritation.

"Aa." Sasuke replied, silently noting, yet slightly smirking at the way Sakura's grip on his arm immediately tightened.

The waitress gestured to Sasuke to follow her through the selection of occupied tables, into the centre of the room. Judging by the waitress's rude attitude toward Sakura, and the flustered glances that she was directing toward Sasuke, an imbecile could tell that she was a fangirl, and most likely had been since their genin days.

Sakura detached her hand from his bicep, and proceeded to reach her hand to sit on the chair waiting for her. However, a hand beat hers to it. Sasuke awkwardly drew back the chair, in a gesture that made her feel like a princess. Unfortunately, the waitress who had witnessed the brief event, sent Sakura a glare that was dirty enough to send shivers down one's spine. But Sakura simply grinned in response, enjoying the competitiveness of pre-won battle. It was a childish game, she knew, since she had no doubts over Sasuke's dedication to her, but the naughty imp inside her couldn't resist gloating to his fangirls.

With a sour countenance, the waitress handed Sasuke a menu – again paying no attention to Sakura – and took their order. Sakura could only hope that scorned woman wouldn't spit on her food before serving it.

Her lover gazed at her competitive expression with something that resembled pride, before he opened his mouth to speak "Saku-"

"Yo, Sasuke-teme!"

Sasuke's blood froze in his veins. His mismatched eyes widened, as he recognised the annoyingly familiar raspy voice, and the vexatious suffix.

"Naruto?..." Sakura gasped, staring at the blonde bombshell stood behind the empty table that resided next to their own.

"Hi Sakura-chan!" he grinned, holding open a chair for the nervous wreck that was Hinata, who blushed a shade of strawberry scarlet as she took the offered seat.

Sasuke glared madly at his teammate. He couldn't have picked a worse night to intrude on, than his first romantic evening with the girl who he'd been infatuated with since he was thirteen.

"You look a little out of place in a restaurant like this, don't you think Usuratonkatchi?" he hissed, barely concealing his infuriation "I'm surprised you're not at Ichiraiku's."

Naruto frowned, shaking his head "I'm on a date with Hinata-chan. Please Teme, at least give me a little credit." He gestured to the madly blushing heiress, "Hinata-chan's way too pretty for Ichiraiku's"

Sakura glowered at Naruto menacingly, "And I'm not?"

Naruto waved his hands anxiously in front of his grimacing face "Of course you're pretty Sakura-chan. Teme's super lucky to have you." He slid into the seat beside Sasuke's and scanned his eyes over the menu that a waiter had handed over.

Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke noticed Sakura's gentle smile toward the couple, and gritted his teeth with the guilt that he couldn't muster the courage to say such embarrassing things to Sakura…especially not in front of the Dobe.

"Actually, Sasuke-teme" Naruto began, with a sly foxy smirk stretched across his face, "It's kind of weird to find you here of all people."

Sasuke's jaw muscles noticeably tightened.

"Never would've guessed that you were a secret romantic." The blonde continued, with mischief dancing within the cerulean of his round eyes. "If he's this romantic, I can't begin to imagine what he's like in the bedroom, ne Sakura-chan?" he added nudging Sasuke's arm with his elbow, as if to provoke a response.

Sasuke grunted maliciously under his breath at the comment, whilst Sakura's face flushed with varying gradients of rose and crimson. Neither felt ready to face the embarrassment of having to explain to their friend that they hadn't actually reached that stage in their relationship yet.

"Naruto!" Sakura growled, "You're in a public place! In a restaurant, at that! Don't make me punch you…"

Naruto's complexion notably blanched as Hinata released a soft giggle.

"Y-you're actually scared of Sakura-san." She stuttered nervously, yet her eyes were lit with amusement "I-I wanted to say this before, but I actually d-don't mind Ichiraiku's. I'll eat anywhere with you N-Naruto-kun."

Upon hearing these words, Naruto bounced in his seat excitedly, "Nah! Only the best for my Hinata-chan."

Hinata's blush darkened to a tone beyond cherry-red, and she had to take deep breaths as a prevention method from fainting.

Sasuke, observing their sickeningly cute 'couple-talk', stared emptily at the tablecloth in front of him, as his hands clenched the edge of the table in frustration. Sakura, sensing his obvious discomfort, reached across to lace her pale fingers through his, giving his palm a soft, reassuring squeeze.

His dark, dark eyes flickered up to meet hers, and she offered him a gentle smile with the soothing brush of her thumb stroking circles in the back of his hand. With a bust of calming green chakra from her fingertips, somehow the agitation that had swelled within him until it reached bursting point, suddenly dissipated…only to spring right back again.

"Hey Sakura-chan? Teme? This is the perfect chance for a double date, don't you think?"

Sasuke's eyes practically flew from their sockets, as he glanced at Sakura's gaping face.

"Erm…Naruto-" she began, her voice trembling at the unwanted offer.

"Come on, Sakura-chan! It'll be fun!" he interrupted her, shuffling their square mahogany tables together with noisy scrapes that echoed and bounced off the walls, earning them quite a few disgruntled stares from their fellow customers.

"But Naruto, I don't know if Hinata-san would be happy about that." Sakura pleaded quietly, as so not to attract even more unnecessary attention.

Hinata waved her hands reassuringly with a pretty smile across her delicate face "I d-don't mind at all. Sakura-san and S-Sasuke-kun are wonderful people."

Naruto's cheesy grin broadened, as he shifted his chair closer to Sasuke's, much to his annoyance.

The exact same words ran dismally through both Sakura and Sasuke's minds.

_So much for a candlelit dinner for two…_

* * *

Overall, the evening was, in a single word…memorable.

Throughout the course of the meal, Sasuke's temperament began to progressively decline. So much so, that he had to refrain from burying his face in his hands shamefully, as Naruto scoffed down his food with the grace of a wild boar.

Surprisingly, Hinata seemed unfazed by the lack of table manners, and lovingly proceeded to dab – with a trembling hand – at the specks of sauce that spattered across his lips.

On the other hand, Sasuke's body language suggested that he was attempting to pretend as though he wasn't dining with, or even associated with the ramen-pig beside him, despite the whole village knowing that they were teammates.

He would be lying if he were to say that Hinata and Naruto's stereotypical couple behaviour didn't get to him. It wasn't that it was directly assaulting him; it resurfaced his feelings of inadequacy that had remained buried deep within since his childhood with Itachi. No matter how much his inner voice attempted to convince him that he should affectionately touch Sakura's hand, or even reach over to brush that stray lock of hair from her beautiful eyes, his body refused to cooperate. Often, he felt the intensity of Sakura's eyes on him, her gaze observing his behaviour with concern. Of course, she would understand that he wasn't much for sentimental words – after all, he was a man of action – but seeing Naruto's ease with such _emotional _behaviour, sparked the forest green flame of envy within him.

"You look so pretty tonight, Hinata-chan." Naruto whispered, resulting in a rather tomato-faced heiress, whom was verging on fainting.

She played with her fingers, murmuring "Arigatou…N-Naruto-kun" before her fingertips moved to the chiffon of her dress, clutching at the silky lilac fabric that gave her the breezy aura of a faery.

Sakura heard a barely audible animalistic growl from across the table, and glanced up from her food, to find a brooding Uchiha, fuming like a villainous creature prior to attack.

"Sasuke-kun" she breathed, noting that Naruto and Hinata were oblivious to the boiling rage of her lover. It was a matter of time before Sasuke snapped, and so deciding to take action, she lifted her fingers to signal to their irritating blonde fangirl waitress.

She sauntered over sulkily, muttering a rudely impatient "Yes?"

Sakura was much too exhausted to play stupid games "The bill, please."

Sasuke's head jumped up, his eyes boring into hers with a mixture of perplexity and gratitude. She smiled weakly at him, before turning to Naruto and Hinata whose eyes were pressing on her with worry.

"Are you okay, S-Sakura-san?" Hinata asked gently.

Naruto's gaze shifted between her and Sasuke, who was watching her steadily with a quiet intensity.

"Sakura-chan?" he asked, "Did you eat something bad? Are you ill? Do you want me to complain?"

Sakura grinned, bonking Naruto on his blonde little head, "I'm fine. It's just getting rather late, and I have work tomorrow, and Sasuke-kun has a mission."

Naruto's bright eyes shifted suspiciously to Sasuke, who grunted an "Aa" in agreement.

Begrudgingly – given that the date was a disaster – Sasuke placed some notes on the bill when it arrived, and ignored the lusciously suggestive glances of the irritating blonde waitress, whom he couldn't wait to be rid of.

Sakura smoothed down the rumples of her pretty white dress, before gathering her belongings and her coat. The plastic smile that covered her expression wasn't fooling him, but it most definitely fooled Naruto and Hinata, to whom she beamed, "See you later, Naruto, Hinata. Enjoy the rest of your date."

Hinata nodded politely, "Arigatou, Sakura-san. S-Sleep well…and good l-luck on you mission tomorrow, S-Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke nodded with another grunt of affirmation, and once again offered his arm to Sakura, whose face glowed with the gesture.

* * *

They walked in silence along the paved streets of the village, back to her apartment. It was like their usual nights, where he would escort her home, and she would invite him inside for tea. But this time, something was different. Unspoken words hung between them like mist over a lake, and Sasuke knew that he had to say something to break the icy wall. Sakura had always been the one to confess love, saying those three words as if they were simply a drop in the ocean. A mere nothing, compared the actual extent of her emotion toward him. If Sakura could say it, and Naruto could say it, then why couldn't he?

He halted in the street, the beams of moonlight illuminating the contours of his face, and casting shadows elsewhere. A perfect symbolism of his double character; the Sasuke that he once pretended to be, running through his warpath of destruction…and the Sasuke that he actually was. The Sasuke that she saw in him. The Sasuke that he wished to be, for her sake.

Sakura frowned, the thought that something was distinctly wrong, working its way into her brain like a worm, and playing havoc on her doubts and insecurities.

"Arigatou, Sakura." He spoke, finally, "For getting me out of there. The Dobe was driving me insane."

She waved her hand nonchalantly, "Ahh…It was nothing."

A few strands of her pink locks danced in the light midnight breeze, as her eyes – the most extraordinary shade of viridian – gazed into his with such compassion that made a shiver run down his spine. No she didn't have what women referred to as an 'hourglass figure'; her chest wasn't particularly large; her hips far too narrow. Her forehead was strangely wide, and her hair annoyingly bright. And yet, in his eyes, as she stood before him in the elegant white dress that portrayed the innocence of her character, she was so beautiful.

She was home.

And suddenly, it seemed so easy.

His piercing eyes penetrated straight into the depths of hers, "I love you, Sakura."

The smile that adorned her features lit a blazing flame in his soul, and the words she next spoke made something in his heart tremble with relief.

"I know you do, Sasuke-kun. I don't need words to understand you."

* * *

Naruto ducked down behind the corner of the wall, his fingers clenching Hinata's, as he watched the scene unfold before him.

His gleaming blue eyes were fixed on the couple, as an enthusiastic grin crept into his expression "I knew it would work! I was right for going ahead with it, wasn't I Hinata-chan?"

Hinata allowed the fingertips of her free hand to brush the rough texture of the brick wall of the side street, "I-I don't think Sakura-san and S-Sasuke-kun will be happy if they f-find out that you purposely made him f-feel bad, so that h-he would be more romantic to S-Sakura-san."

Naruto shrugged, playing down the constant driving force that he's had within the relationship between his teammates. He was always there, working in the shadows to keep their relationship in motion, and yet, somehow he felt as though it was unnecessary. Sasuke-teme was always going to be the one for Sakura-chan, and vice versa. Even if they moved inch by inch, they were still moving, and that was what really mattered.

"They're made for each other, aren't they Hinata-chan?"

A smile graced her features, as she nodded with an "Un" in agreement.


	6. Daffodils

Sakura loved surprises. Since she was a child, she had always savoured the burst of bright yellow energy and joy that accompanied them. And after the endless ritual of summers spent sprawled into the grooves of the roots beneath cherry blossoms, with Ino's tiny fingers threading wild flowers through her hair, she realised how much she loved flowers too.

With a powerful kick, Sakura's office door flew open, rebounding loudly off the wall, which now supported a little more than a mere fissure at the impact. She grunted, as she slung the heavy stack of textbooks onto her desk, as it groaned slightly at the sudden weight, as if it were Shikamaru whenever she asked him for a "troublesome" favour. Despite knowing that Tsunade loved her as if she were a daughter, Sakura couldn't help but think sometimes that the wicked side to her shishou, secretly enjoyed piling on the work for her beloved student.

And then she saw them.

That brief flash of spring, so familiar in colour and freshness, which captured the very corner of her vision. Curiously, she peered around the tower of books, only for her breath to be dragged from her lungs, as her plump pink lips parted into an 'O' of breathless surprise. Innocently, on her desk, as if they had every right to be there, lay a heap of crisp yellow daffodils, their sweet heady fragrance overpowering her senses, and filling her office with the sweltering sense of spring and life.

As if on instinct, or mere curiosity, her fingers uncoiled in fascination and eager delight, and reached upward toward the delicately frilled edges of the pale yellow petals. But then, her eyes snapped up to the very top of the pile. It was difficult to miss the one daffodil, whose colour didn't quite fit with the others. Its head was pallid white, the epitome of innocence and purity, emitting the most delicious scent that she had ever imagined, and tied to its stem with string was the most beautiful white gold ring she had ever seen.

Fingertips trembling with emotion and delight, she carefully detached the ring, examining how the marquise diamond embedded between two smaller sapphires, threw a spectrum of colours from the light that filtered in through the window.

_Sasuke-kun…_

Slowly, she slid the ring onto the fourth finger of her left hand, noting how it was quite literally, a perfect fit. All of a sudden, a memory from months before flashed through her mind, of how she had searched her entire apartment for one of her favourite rings, turning the place inside out, before accepting with misery that she must've lost it down the drain or when she was in town. Yet weeks later, it appeared out of nowhere, sitting casually on her bedside table as if it had never vanished. With startling realisation, Sakura put two and two together that Sasuke must've crept his way into her apartment, and borrowed the ring for size reference, whilst he was searching for the one that she was currently wearing.

At the thought, a small smile crept onto her face.

_Sasuke-kun, you must've been carrying this engagement ring around for months…_

Sakura's limbs ached to run to him, to find him and hopefully have him say the words that she so very much longed to hear. On a spur of the moment, she dashed from her office, footfalls hammering against the hospital floor and rebounding off the walls. Her student trainees probably wondered what on earth their dear Sakura-senpai was doing running through the hospital corridors, but she didn't care. She just needed him.

Honoka, the receptionist gaped in astonishment as Sakura whizzed past and out through the main entrance, stopping briefly to flare out a wave of her chakra, and grinning when a familiar burst of chakra reflected against hers. Without stopping to think, she bounded off in the direction of his signature – judging by his location and the unmistakable chakra signature beside his, he was currently heading toward Ichiraiku's ramen stand with Naruto.

She ignored all of the inquisitive and baffled expressions that she received from civilians and fellow ninja, as she sprinted desperately through Konoha marketplace. All she needed was Sasuke. She knew that his stubborn pride would prevent him from spilling the true depths of his feelings, but she never expected him to propose in such a romantic way. If anything, she thought that he would just grunt it out of the blue, but now she knew how serious he was. She knew that all of her doubts and insecurities were for nothing, and that her feelings were _finally _reciprocated to an equal extent. Of course she saw that he loved her. He already confessed that on their first date, but she couldn't seem to dispel that teeny tiny voice in the back of her mind, that suggested that she would never be good enough, or that she really was too annoying, or even that he would have an epiphany that she was merely an important friend. It was a voice that she despised listening to because of the painful tugs on her heart that resulted, yet she was only a human. She couldn't help it.

_I guess I needn't worry any more, _she thought, _because you really must love me Sasuke-kun, to want to marry me…_

Her heartbeat danced wildly in her chest, as she rounded the final corner of the street, to see Sasuke and Naruto, in the distance, staring directly at her. They knew she was coming. Stood out in the open, visible from any compass point, it was clear that they had been waiting to see her reaction.

Swiftly, she raced through the dusty street toward the man she loved, her urgency to be close with him evident throughout her expression, before she flung herself onto him, arms tightly wrapped around his neck, and fingers grasping at his dark hair. Almost immediately, he responded by winding his arms around her waist, clutching her to him.

"Sasuke-kun," she mumbled, her face buried into his shoulder, "All those years ago, in the hospital, you really did appreciate those daffodils didn't you?"

"Hn." his warm breath hit the skin at the top of her ear, "But I'll admit, it was your blonde friend's idea to have the novelty daffodil on top."

"Ino knew about this?" Her eyes widened slightly, but she decided to snuggle further into his cloak, "I thought she was acting suspicious lately."

Sakura cast her mind back to her last brief visit to the Yamanaka flower shop early that morning, where the Ino-pig had been grinning at her like an idiot, when all she did was innocently admire the daffodil stand.

"Sasuke-teme let me in on it too." Naruto interjected beside the couple, causing Sakura to retract her head from Sasuke's shoulder. "I know, it's shocking isn't it Sakura-chan, that the bastard would actually ask me for my opinion."

Sakura glanced between the pair of them, eyes narrowed "Your opinion on what exactly? The choice of bride?"

Naruto, in precaution, raised his hands before him in surrender, as he explained nervously, shaking his head "No, no, the bastard came to me one night to show me the ring."

She felt Sasuke's fingers tremble slightly against her back, clearly indicating his rising temper toward his best friend. Sakura guessed that wanting Naruto's approval was a threat to his stubborn pride.

Naruto's face broke out into a cheeky grin "He wanted to ask if it was pretty enough for his Sakura-chan."

"Naruto!" Sasuke growled with vehemence, the threat evident in his voice silencing his now wary friend.

Naruto waved his hand at her dismissively, changing the subject. "Anyway, Sakura-chan, we knew you were coming, so we started heading to get some ramen to celebrate. Teme's paying!"

"I'm not." Sasuke grunted with finality, beginning to loosen his hold on her, but stopping midway to take hold of her wrist, approving of the elegant ring on her slender finger. A perfect fit, he noted smugly. However his expression darkened, as he remembered what had plagued his mind when he purchased it.

Sakura nervously glanced up at his emotionless expression, "Is something wrong, Sasuke-kun?"

His eyes flickered from the ring, to hers. His voice was a barely audible whisper as he muttered, "I actually wanted to give you my mother's ring...but it was only proper to have her buried wearing it."

Sakura's heart swelled, glowing with love at his words. He wanted to give her his mother's ring…that could only mean that he saw her as family…

A jolt of emotion and long-buried distress flickered transiently across his contrasting eyes, at the reflection of his departed family. However, it vanished not long after it appeared. Eyes glassed over with tears like glistening orbs, Sakura slowly leaned up, to press a chaste but affectionate kiss to his cheek.

"It's perfect…and I love you."

"Hn. I'm guessing that's a 'yes'."

She grinned with content, "Of course."


	7. Spoken Feelings

**A/N (Don't skip): I'll be changing the rating of this series/anthology to an M, because this chapter contains mature content. It's not a full blown lemon or anything, so don't expect any graphic details. I decided to focus on the emotional side of this, because personally I find it quite strange when people write lemons where Sasuke and Sakura do all the raunchy primal stuff. I've always seen Sasuke as someone who would be more focused on his emotional attraction to Sakura rather than his physical attraction. But I'm still changing the rating, just to be safe. **

**I feel as though I haven't updated this in forever, but I've (finally) finished my exams now, and this chapter is much longer than the others, not to mention I had to keep re-reading and editing my own work, especially after my sister told me that the metaphor "a burrito of lies" is terrible. **

**If you like, please leave a comment, because they're like little pieces of chocolate to me. Enjoy xx**

Sakura's fingers scrunched in the edging of her kimono sleeves, as the click of the door shutting echoed loudly behind her. The silence in the air felt so heavy, that she imagined that she would be able to taste it on her tongue, like humidity.

This was it. Her emotions had been teetering amongst the thin line between excitement and sheer anxiety, since before the wedding. Of course, the idea of it had flittered back and forth across her mind, having known that it was an inevitable aspect of their relationship. However, a childhood filled with teasing and spiteful comments had caused her self-esteem to shrivel back into a meagre sliver.

A shiver running down her spine, like an electrical current, indicated Sasuke's looming presence behind her. He was silent, unmoving for a few seconds, before Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin as his cool fingers ran along the hem of her collar. All of a sudden, his approach altered with a new sense of hesitance, most likely as he noted her erratic nerves. Expecting no less from her, he ultimately decided to continue pulling at the outer layer of her wedding kimono, until it crumpled to the ground with a soft thud.

Her heart hammered violently against her rib cage, as his cold fingers continued to trail a path of shivers and tingles across her collarbone. Unbeknownst to her, his heart was pounding just as much, if not more so than hers, as he released the breath that he didn't know he held, secretly adoring how the pink wisps of hair on the nape of her neck shifted slightly. He loved every inch of her. Every movement, every strand of blossom pink hair, every fleck of viridian in her eyes, every breath that she took; he loved everything.

"Sakura…" he murmured as softly as he could, as he placed his hands on her narrow shoulders, turning her to face him. He could only hope that his hands would remain steady, and not betray him.

Sakura's eyes darted to and fro in nervous, manic movements, as they landed on anywhere but his. Although he was glad that his anxiety was mutual, he still found it rather irritating that she couldn't even bring herself to do so much as glance at him.

"Sakura," he insisted, fingers tightening briefly around her shoulders, "Look at me."

And she did.

Albeit slowly with a trace of reluctance, but even so, she found it within herself to finally meet his gaze. And the determination he found there, the _ferocity_, was enough to make a shiver run along the column of his spine. He would've stopped, for her sake. He was content to wait. But the vibrant fiery tinge in the corner of her green irises, reassured him that she would be okay.

Lifting two fingers, he carefully held her chin as he awkwardly bent and pressed an inexperienced kiss to her lips. It wasn't as if they hadn't kissed before. But it was the knowledge of what they were about to do, that made him tremble to his very core. He had definitely never done _that_ before.

Suddenly, he pulled away, brow furrowed deeply, as an unwanted thought popped into his mind.

Frowning at her new husband's reluctance to continue the kiss he started, Sakura witnessed as his expression darkened into frustration, eyes shifting in thought, clearly reflecting his inner turmoil.

_Has he changed his mind? _Sakura didn't want to believe it. She couldn't. But the way his features contorted into a mirror image of the cruel heartless boy she once cried for, she couldn't help but allow the thought to run through her head. The dreaded possibility, that maybe, her new husband's feet had dropped in temperature.

"Sasuke-kun?" She gingerly wove her fingers into his hair in a tender gesture of affection. "Are you okay? Is something wrong?"

Body stiffening under Sakura's touch, his eyes shifted to hers, and she quickly licked her lips in apprehension.

He was silent for a moment, the only noise in his bedroom, being their erratic exhaling of breath, and the slight rustle of Sakura's fingertips in Sasuke's soft hair. He shifted his weight to his other foot, the floorboard beneath him groaning in response. Although his eyes were practically piercing hers, in the direct way in which he looked at her, she could tell that he was nervous. Allowing some of her pale green chakra to seep through her fingertips into his body, she felt his midnight blue chakra spiking dangerously, flinching away from where hers made contact.

"Sakura?"

She squeezed her fingers gently in his hair, "Mm?"

"You…" His voice caught in his throat, as he finally broke their eye contact. When he spoke next, his voice shook with the vulnerability that he had always clouded behind his mask of pride. He despised the thought of allowing her to see that weak, terrified boy inside him, but he couldn't stop the mask from slipping to the side a little, revealing to her the full extent of his insecurity.

"You did wait for me, didn't you?"

Sakura's eyes widened at what he seemed to be insinuating. He was afraid? He was afraid that she would give up something so intimate and precious, to someone other than him? Did he not know her by now? Could he not feel her nervous heart racing beneath her skin?

The edges of her lips curved into a reassuring smile, "As if I'd even consider giving myself away to anyone else."

With warmth, she watched as something – a burden – lifted from behind his expression and his eyes, once dark and brooding, relaxed into sincere relief. Once again, he tilted her chin to capture her lips with a tenderness that she never thought he would ever be capable of. Without breaking their kiss, Sasuke's fingers slowly untied her remaining layers, prying them off, and allowing them to tumble to the floor one by one.

Sakura felt her skin prickle with cold before she became fully aware of her indecency. Blushing scarlet, she pulled away from Sasuke's kiss and draped her arms across herself, in hope of retaining at least a shred of dignity.

Ignoring the sight before him, Sasuke immediately stepped forward. "I'm sorry." The words rushed out of his mouth hastily, "I shouldn't have-"

"It's okay" she interrupted, eyes trained on his feet, "I was just surprised…" Her eyes lowered guiltily, before she added in a quiet voice "and…well, I'm not exactly spectacular to look at."

His lips curved into a smirk, as he stepped forward once more, using two fingers from his prosthetic hand to brush away the pink locks that obstructed his vision of her face.

"As if I care about that."

Sakura's head snapped up, pink little brows furrowed in confusion. She had no idea what he meant by those words. Did that mean that he wasn't attracted to her? He doesn't actually love her? He simply played along until the wedding, In order to restore his clan? Marrying her first and only love was a mistake? But as soon as the thoughts flooded her head, they were easily dismissed into the recesses of her brain, as she became aware of Sasuke's hands slowly, and with little force possible, attempting to pry her hand away from her breasts.

Her instant reaction was to resist his gentle tugs and press her arm further into her skin, much to Sasuke's displeasure.

"Sakura, please…" he mumbled, slight annoyance in his tone "I know you're nervous and all, but how do you expect to do this when I can't even look at you?"

She shook her head adamantly "Ino, Hinata, Tsunade-shishou…I'm tiny in comparison. You'll be disappointed-"

"I don't want to see, or even think about your best friend, the Dobe's wife, or the sixty year old ex-hokage right now, Sakura!" As much as he loved the fact that she wanted to satisfy him, he was getting a little irritated by how much she doubted his acceptance of her. It was insulting, to be frank, that his wife thought that he would much prefer a sixty year old woman over her.

Taking a deep breath, he continued exasperated, "I didn't marry Ino, Hinata or Tsunade, did I? I told you…" He hesitated, "I told you I love you, didn't I?"

_Told. _

That was the key word that sent a new shiver across her skin. It did nothing to soothe her frazzled nerves and insecurities. Did he not love her? _Did you lie to me this entire time, Sasuke-kun? _She thought, in a heart-shattering second.

Sakura gulped, his words sinking in, before she allowed her arms to fall away until she was completely exposed. He could see everything; her imperfections, flaws, asymmetries, and the thought made her wince. The possibility that his love could be a mask of lies only worsened the uncomfortable feeling in the pit of her stomach.

However, those feeling melted away, as she was scooped up into a pair of strong arms and thoroughly drenched with a monsoon of kisses.

…

Sakura's mind drifted on the fringes of consciousness, until a light pressure sliding along the contour of her eyebrow lured her away from the foggy void. Eyes still closed and mumbling almost inaudibly about insects crawling on her face, she shook her head, expecting to have thrown off the annoying little bug.

What she didn't expect was the deep snicker that followed.

Her eyes snapped open, as her blurry morning vision came to focus on the, amused mismatched eyes of her new husband. When she realised that the insect crawling across her eyebrow was in fact Sasuke, who had been staring at her sleeping face, a red stain slowly spread across her cheeks. The night previous, she had hoped to wake earlier than him, in order to calm her mind after their recent actions.

_Oh… _she gasped mentally, as vibrant memories of the night before hit her like a sack of flour. His lips kissing everywhere they fell. His hands caressing and touching places that her twelve year old self never believed that they would touch. Rough fingers exploring and tracing the contours of her body.

She remembered, with wide green eyes, how he had kissed her breasts with such raw tenderness and love that her worries dissipated into nothingness. The tips of her fingernails as they glided across the curve of his spine, when he hovered over her body, and asked her if she was ready. It didn't hurt, like Ino said it would, but instead she felt filled by him, connected with him in such an intimate way.

And she recalled how he kept his face a mere couple of inches from hers, as he rolled his hips against her calmly, slowly, in an almost lazy fashion. Yet, she had noted that he showed no signs of disinterest, as he used one hand to pull her leg up and around his waist, gesturing to her to repeat the action with the other. He had leant his weight on his left prosthetic arm, as so not to crush her tiny frame beneath him, wrapping his right around the curve of her head, his thumb lightly stroking the pink tufts of her hairline. Their chakra, leafy green and midnight blue fusing and interlacing where they released it from their fingertips.

His black hair had tickled her skin, as his forehead rested against hers. Erratic gasps of his warm breath had brushed her skin, their breaths mingling, as he determinedly locked his eyes onto hers throughout, occasionally closing them in intense pleasure. There had been periods of time, when his black iris had bled into blood red, three tomoes swivelling in a haunting pattern, and she had wondered whether it was a voluntary activation, or whether he had just simply lost control.

Nobody else, nowhere else, nothing else had existed except him, and their private little world in the small slither of a gap between their eyes and lips.

She felt as though he had tried his hardest to convey his emotions, even if it was clear that he was as terrified as she was.

"Sakura, you're like a tomato."

Sasuke's low rumble of a voice, slightly hoarse from sleep, snapped her back to the present.

He stared down at her, seemingly entertained by the look of shock that adorned her features. Out of utter embarrassment, she sunk down under the shelter of the duvet, hiding beneath the sheets. Clearly, he knew what she had been reminiscing that had caused her to blush madly, and she wondered what her expression had looked like to him at the time.

Arm draped languidly across the large lump in the duvet, that was Sakura, he added, smirking, "I like tomatoes."

"I'm not a tomato, Sasuke-kun." The Sakura-lump muttered groggily.

He shrugged, "Aa. I know that." Eyes shifting away from her covered form, he added "You're much better."

Glancing back to the Sakura-lump, he jumped slightly, when his gaze was met with a pair of bright jade eyes peeking out from under the covers, staring adamantly at him. He gulped apprehensively as he watched her finally shift up and out of the depths of the duvet, having not yet gotten used to saying such embarrassing things.

It was clear that something was troubling her, when she seemed almost reluctant to lie closer to him. As someone whom held the upmost dedication to him throughout their childhood, he knew that something must be plaguing her mind, if she was hesitant to even so much as face him.

The silence lingered like a frost, until Sakura's voice sliced it cleanly.

"Sasuke-kun?" she mumbled, awkwardly.

He turned his head to her, "Hn."

She fidgeted with her fingers, in a clear display of anxiety. "Last night, I told you that I wasn't anything special to look at. Do you remember?"

He nodded briefly, with another added "Hn."

"So you remember saying that you don't care about any of that?" Her expression crumpled, and her mouth slid into a frown; an obvious display of distress.

Watching her from the corner of his eye, he replied simply, "I don't."

Somehow, if it were possible, her frown deepened, lips pressed together uncomfortably. Even though the night before, he had acted so romantically, so gently with her, she couldn't dispel the nagging voice that told her that he simply wasn't attracted to her. Naturally, it wasn't much of a surprise. After all, he had never really been interested in girls in general, let alone her. However, no matter how unsurprising the revelation was, she couldn't prevent the pang of pain reverberating in her chest.

A deep, calming breath later, she continued, failing to conceal the distraught in her voice "So you're not attracted to me at all? If you wanted to restore your clan, then all you had to do was just tell me instead of leading me into a loveless marriage."

Sasuke sat up a little, frowning at her words. _What the hell is she talking about?_ He was perfectly aware of how unable he was at conveying his feelings, but had she not noticed his efforts last night? Didn't she see his sharingan? Or, maybe she did, except she misunderstood his intentions. She must've missed the underlying message beneath his words, much to his dismay, as now he had to face the seemingly impossible task of explaining his feelings through words instead of actions. To put it simply, he was not a man of words.

"Sakura." he began, trying not to choke over his words. "When I said that, what I meant was that I didn't want you as my wife because of physical appearance. It's insulting that you think that I'm that shallow."

He swallowed, as Sakura finally turned to him, staring at him as if expecting words that he didn't think he could bring himself to say.

"I came to feel this way, because you're Sakura." Lifting his right arm, he brushed his fingers along the right side of her sternum, exactly where her heart was, and felt the quickening pulse echo through his fingertips. She was so _alive_. "I'm not saying that I don't find you…physically attractive, because I'd be lying. But it's not the reason why I feel like this."

Sakura's deep blush gradually began to return, and her heart raced beneath his fingers. "So…you love me because I'm me. Because I'm Haruno Sakura."

He nodded once, the apples of his cheeks tinged slightly with pale pink "Aa. Because you're _Uchiha_ Sakura.

Her lips parted once she realised her mistake, only to curve into a shy smile at the unfamiliar sound of her new name. It was a wonderful feeling, knowing that Sasuke fell in love with her because of who she was as a person, rather than what she looked like. She could be any size, shape, or form, and he'd still love her for being Sakura. Except there one more question that lingered in her mind.

"Sasuke-kun, you should know that your sharingan kept activating last night."

His face turned away from her, as he decided that deep, careful breaths would be the best course of action to avoid the heat spreading across his cheeks. It was bad enough that he was forced to actually go so far as to explain his feelings for her, but he wasn't ready to reveal this. However, if she asked, he couldn't exactly lie to her. He had spent years closing himself away from her touch, her affections, ultimately causing her so much pain. It would be best if he just lay out a brief explanation, and allowed her to come to the correct conclusions.

"Aa. I know it did.", he answered, staring straight ahead at the wall.

Her pink brows furrowed in confusion. "So you were in control of your sharingan?"

He gulped, with a single nod.

Perplexed jade eyes ran over his expression searchingly, "So why…?

After hesitating for a second, he began, hoping that she didn't pick up on the sheer embarrassment in his voice. "A sharingan user copies techniques just by simply looking at them. This is because everything that is seen through the sharingan, is immediately and _permanently_ stored in the memory system."

She looked away, slightly befuddled by the vague information.

"Oh…_Oh!_" she gasped suddenly. Realisation crashed down on her, as his words finally clicked into place. He purposely activated his sharingan. Not to threaten her, or to copy techniques, or examine her chakra flow, but to embed the memories of her in his brain. He wanted to remember their first night forever.

Heart swelling and soaring, she shifted her hand to lace her dainty fingers through his. He seemed so large in comparison to her, and she was surprised that he hadn't crushed her flat when he collapsed onto her in exhaustion the night before.

"Sasuke-kun?" She mused, the fingers of one hand tilting his chin toward her.

"Hn?"

Slowly, she leaned toward him, noting how his breath caught in surprise when she lightly pressed a kiss on the tip of his nose.

"I'm really happy." She whispered, pressing her forehead against his.

Sasuke's lips arched into a small, grateful smile, "Me too."


	8. Good News

His breath lodged in his throat. An unmovable pebble constricting his breath. Lips parted, eyes wide and unblinking, all of his muscles frozen as they were. It was quite the sight to Sakura, who smiled up at him nervously in anticipation of his reaction. Breathing should be easy. He wanted to breathe, to move, but everything was at a standstill. It was almost a ridiculous concept, how somebody as stoic as himself could be thrown from his balance entirely by one mere word.

Ten seconds ago, she had squeezed his cloaked arm, and looking him in the eye, repeated the words that she had most likely practiced repeatedly in her head.

"Sasuke-kun." She had breathed, only five seconds ago, joy glinting in her eyes. "I'm pregnant."

Pregnant. Sakura was pregnant. Just the thought left an unfamiliar taste in his mouth, as did anything that he had never experienced before, including his realisation of his feelings for her. A child of his. A child, whom looked like him, shared his blood, his genes. A family. At one time, from within the pit of his darkness, the concept had seemed unattainable and downright unimportant for an avenger like him, but now…well, it was a different matter now.

Sakura's smile slowly began to fade, as her husband's first movement was to lower his head to the ground, lips set in a thin pressed line. Days she had spent mulling over what his reaction would be, trying to predict his behaviour after she had spilled what she would've assumed to be good news. But _this, _was not something she had seen coming. Maybe she should've foreseen his possible disappointment, but at the time, it had seemed unlikely. Even if Sasuke was extremely difficult to read, and preferred to keep his thoughts and emotions on the inside of his reserved nature, she thought that he would actually want to have a family again. Even if not at that moment, but someday in the future. When she had sat in their shared tent, cross-legged and perplexed as she worked her maths and figured out exactly when conception occurred, she had panicked to begin with. But she knew that her husband would be happy. She reassured herself that he would be happy. So why was he stood before her, in the middle of a forest, looking as though she'd shared with him a dirty secret.

All of a sudden, a tingle ran along her spine. That familiar tingle that was usually experienced by almost all shinobi when on a mission. The paranoia of eyes fixed upon one's back. _An enemy shinobi? _She thought, peering over each of her shoulders. Her fingers twitched toward her kunai pouch, concealed within the folds of her travelling cloak. Slyly, she sent a small glance toward Sasuke, wondering if he had sensed it too…except that he hadn't moved. Not one inch.

The sight of him, his _apathy _toward their child, toward their wellbeing, shocked her to the marrow of her bones. Anger. Boiling, bubbling, simmering just below her pale skin, carefully tamed on a day to day basis, yet never having lost its scalding passion. She was pregnant. They were going to finally be a family, and yet so she did everything she could to quiet the insistent urge to slap some sense into her husband. Within her gloves, her fists seemed to have clenched themselves, ready to unleash the full extent of her blistering fury. For the possible enemy nin surrounding them? Or for Sasuke? She parted her lips, ready to demand what was going on with eyes narrowed, until she halted, the fire having been misted with water.

Underneath the cover of his hair, a flash of crimson caught her sharp eyes. With three swirling tomoes, everything became apparent. Her eyes followed his gaze, which led down toward her stomach. It was clear now, what was going on, what he was doing. Shame fluttered like moths in her gut, as her heart reminded her head that Sasuke would never sit back and simply allow enemies to attack them. Especially if she were in a condition – such as pregnancy –in which the preciseness of her chakra control was debatable. Sasuke's single sharingan eye remained trained on her stomach, her womb, for a few seconds longer before seeping into black.

No words left his lips. Nothing at all, except a dreadful heavy silence that brewed in the air between them. Stifling. Claustrophobic. Suffocating.

And then he shook.

Only a little at first, easily mistaken by Sakura for a ghostly shiver. However, she almost believed that her eyes were deceiving her, when the slight trembles of his shoulders soon merged into harsh shudders, accompanied by half-restrained gasps, so quiet that she held her breath in order to hear them.

Panicking, she raised a hand to the curve of his jaw, the other running along his arm. "Sasuke-kun?!" she pleaded. "What's wrong? Speak to me, please!"

Speak? He couldn't. Such a simple thing, but it seemed so impossible to him. A task, rather than a choice, as the lump in his throat refused to budge under his will. A family? Once, he had never even considered it as an option. Revenge came first and foremost, having polluted his mind and disintegrated any desire for a civil life. How careless of him, to risk throwing it away. And something as precious as a baby, _his child_, could he protect it? Would he, could he ever be worthy of the title of father? And Sakura, he came dangerously close to tossing her life aside without a second thought, having no knowledge at the time, that she would be the one to provide him with everything that he'd lost that night.

His body shook harder, at the many thoughts circulating endlessly through his mind, clouding it beyond reasonable function, and leaving him unable to respond to his wife's distressed begging in his ear.

Sakura on the other hand, stared at him with eyes glassed over, uncertain of his behaviour. Uncertain of herself. A silent shriek lodged itself in her windpipe, when he collapsed to his knees before her, arms hanging limp by his sides, and his forehead resting against her stomach.

And then nothing. The silence dripped full and thick like dew in damp forest, filled with the rustle of foliage above them, her uneven breath, and his erratic pants. A bird's song, which Sakura immediately recognised having heard it during a previous mission, and a flapping of small wings, a breeze running through their hair.

"How long?" Sasuke whispered, his breath warm against her stomach.

She swallowed. "Two…two weeks, approximately."

"How did you find out?" The tone of his voice was low, brooding.

The crease between her pale eyebrows deepened. "My chakra, it felt a little off, and I thought something was wrong. I thought I might've caught an illness, so I did a quick self-examination."

"I'm sorry." He hissed through his tightly clenched jaw.

Sakura flinched against him, tears brimming on the verge of release. This wasn't right. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He should've been overjoyed, deeply and truly happy like he had been in her imagination. She'd pictured his smile, his fierce protectiveness and his pride toward her. Not this. Never this.

"What the hell are you talking about?" She spoke, her voice deep with a dangerous black undertone, as her tears splashed and broke upon crashing into Sasuke's dark hair. "You're sorry? That's our child you're talking about!"

"I'm sorry." Sasuke repeated, grimacing. "I'm sorry. Back then, after my fight with…_Danzo._" He spat the name through his teeth disgustedly. "I…you. I'm sorry, Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun, what are you saying?" She cried "That has nothing to do with this! Danzo is dead! He'll never even as much as come near our child!"

He shifted his head slightly, and Sakura froze instantly at the wetness on the fabric clothing her stomach.

"I didn't realise…" He mumbled, like a mantra. "I almost…If I'd done it…If it wasn't for Kakashi. Naruto…I almost killed my family."

Immediately, her heart softened, all traces of frustration dissolved. "Sasuke-kun." Sakura interrupted him. "Stop saying things like that. You weren't you back then, and you didn't kill me, and you definitely didn't harm our baby."

With care, she took hold of his head and slowly knelt to the ground, lifting his face to her eyes. And the sight sent a shiver tracing along the curve of her spine, like the edge of a blade. Under her palms, Sasuke's skin was warm and damp with tears that still glistened on his dark wet eyelashes. She'd never seen Sasuke cry before, and so she found herself torn between loving the more intimate, human side of him, and wishing that she could ease whatever pain he felt. Every side of him, she'd borne witness to, from his raw violent rage within his chidori, to the way that he kissed her gently as he rolled his hips into hers. She'd seen it all, except this. If Sasuke had ever cried in the past, she solemnly wished that she could've been there to lift his burden.

"Sasuke…you…"

Sasuke shifted in his wife's hold, focusing his eyes on anything but her. "Don't, Sakura." He said bitterly, angling himself away from her. "Don't look at me."

Sakura could've easily taken misunderstood his words, as she kneeled before him, her thumbs stroking his cheekbones. However, she knew him better than that. Deep in her heart, she understood that her husband had never allowed her to see his weaknesses, and he had too much pride to start now. Although, sometimes she reminded him in a hushed tone, that crying wasn't a weakness, and that she'd see him as anything less. Of course, he would never answer her, but she knew that he appreciated it, even if he responded with a barely audible "Hn."

"It's okay." She murmured, running a strand of black hair through her fingertips. "You'll never hurt us. I know it."

Slowly, he raised his hand to press against her stomach. It was a strange feeling, knowing that his child was growing inches away from the pressure of his fingertips.

"I'm guessing that it's too early to know the baby's gender?" he mumbled.

"Why?" she laughed, and placed a hand atop of his. "You have a preference? Even though we've never really talked about it, you probably want a son whom you can teach chidori. Most men do."

"Hn." He smirked. "You're wrong. I'd be perfectly happy with a daughter who can punch like her mother."

She flashed him a grin that he always craved like a treat. "You're just happy to have a family, right?"

"Aa." He replied, with a small smile reserved for her, and her only. "Thank you Sakura."

Over the next few months, Sakura became more and more aware of Sasuke's inner feelings about his new family. As her stomach swelled, so did her husband's overprotectiveness. She'd seen the way he'd lie awake all through the night, tomoes spinning, staring endlessly at the growing ball of blue fire inside her, until his eyes were dry and red. Several times on their travels, they'd passed through small settlements, and from the corner of her eye, a sharingan would flash intimidatingly at any male whom dared to glance her way. And she could've sworn that she'd briefly seen a rinnegan exposed, during the times when men would be brave enough and cast their eyes down to where the fabric of her dress began to protrude. Although Sasuke never once spoke upon the subject, it had become a silent requirement of her to remain within his field of vision at all times. Even if, just for a few minutes, she slipped away out of craving for a breath of fresh air, his deep voice would resonate behind her.

"Sakura." He'd say, never angry, never commanding or irritated. But he'd take a second to silently inspect her overall appearance, and if she passed the test – no grazes, bruises, or bleeding wounds – he'd simply take her hand and pull her away. But never with his bandaged hand. Sasuke would only ever hold her or touch her belly with his real hand. It was his way, she understood, of showing intimacy in the public eye.

Even if sometimes, she craved the personal space that she once had, it was clear to her that her husband meant no harm. It was just how he was. He couldn't help it. Sasuke had lost his family once, and he was determined never to let it slip through his fingers again.

Along with this, he was always ready to run long distances in order to satisfy Sakura's craving for menthol sweets. Only available in certain herbalist stalls, Sasuke travelled near and far in order to purchase the non-antibiotic kind that was harmless in pregnancy. Why anybody would actually savour the strong sharp taste of menthol, which left a cold numbing sensation in one's mouth, was beyond comprehensible to him. But Sakura was quite happy munching on the minty boiled sweets, until her teeth began to ache. By that point, he assumed smugly, that her tooth pain would result in her giving up the sickly addiction. Oh, how wrong he was! Instead, she'd simply slapped the sweets into his palm and demanded that he ate them himself…and then breathe on her. A distasteful idea. The mere thought made him shudder. But when she asked him in such a way, with the sweetest grin she could muster, how could he refuse?

Every day was much of the same, however, as time passed, Sakura began to take note of Sasuke's frequent mood swings – even though she was supposed to be the one who was pregnant and hormonal. His blank unreadable expression when she wandered far from him was slowly replaced with dark frowns and mutters telling her to "be more careful", whilst running one hand through his hair.

This continued, completely unmentioned, until one morning after they had fastened their travelling cloaks, Sasuke started off in the wrong direction.

"Um…Sasuke-kun?" Sakura called to him, double checking her pocket map. "We were supposed to head _that _way." She pointed over her shoulder, although he hadn't turned to face her. "You're heading back the same way we just came."

"Aa." He confirmed, finally sending her a glance and continued to walk on the same path.

She hurried after him, frowning. "Did you forget something back at our old camp?"

Sasuke didn't answer immediately, but passed a weary look at the ball of chakra, strong and growing in her stomach, before stating a short "No."

"So then…why?" Her sentence seemed to drift off, as she peered up at the crease between his eyebrows. The bags beneath his eyes seemed all the more pronounced.

"Tsunade," He said. "Is the best medic there is."

"Yes Sasuke-kun, I know that, but how does that have to do with our mission?"

He turned and gave her a pointed look, as though she was missing something obvious. "Sakura, I shouldn't need to point this out, but you're heavily pregnant, and we're in the middle of a forest."

As his words clicked in her brain, her steps faltered, until he was walking ahead of her.

Tsunade, months and months before, had passed word to Kakashi, that she had run out of plants that she could brew into lethal poisons. As Hokage, he'd requested that Sakura, being Tsunade's disciple, and knowing exactly how to identify the specific plants needed for particular poisons, should be the one sent on the mission to harvest them. After all, Konohagakure was a huge village to defend, and it wouldn't exactly be beneficial if Konoha shinobi were short on effective weapons beside their jutsu. A solo mission, he'd told her with a grin from behind his mask. Or it should've been, if Sasuke hadn't burst into Hokage tower asking – no, _insisting,_ that he accompany his newlywed wife, should anything happen. Naturally, Sakura laughed at him, claiming that nothing would happen, because she wasn't weak anymore. But the man wasn't for moving. He knew that she was strong; he'd seen her destroy a battlefield when they were both seventeen. Nonetheless, if Sakura were to leave on such a long lasting mission, he'd spend the many months of her absence staring at the village gates, searching the horizon for signs of pink.

Nobody knew at the time, that she would fall pregnant.

But if she were to go back to Konoha, Sasuke would have to stay and complete the mission. They had a deadline. Konoha just couldn't go on with short supplies, and Tsunade was dependent on them.

If she went back, he would have to stay.

And Sasuke wouldn't just have anybody deliver his child. Should anything go wrong, he couldn't risk losing another important person. It was clear as day, how much he loved their baby already. If anything happened, it would destroy him. No. He wouldn't dream of risking it.

But she wanted, she needed him there when she gave birth. She wanted him to be the first one to hold the baby. They had decided, eventually, not to find out the baby's gender, and Sakura wanted to see Sasuke's look of surprise and joy, when he met the new little Uchiha. Sakura wanted him to be there to welcome his child into the world.

"No." She shook her head, and his steps slowed to a halt as he half turned to her. "I'm not going back to Kohoha now. I want you with me when I give birth."

Sasuke's black eye narrowed. "Sakura, stop being difficult-"

"No, Sasuke-kun." She interrupted him. "I know that you're worried, and you don't want anything to happen. You've been using your sharingan to watch the baby grow, and you've been checking to make sure that he or she is developing properly." His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something, but she continued regardless. "I can see how precious this child is to you. That's why I won't go back to Konoha whilst you stay here. I want you to be the first one to hold him or her. I want to see the look on your face when it really hits you, that you have a family again after all these years."

She finished, breathing heavily and eyes lit with fire. But Sasuke was silent. Torn. Like her confessions to him during his darker periods, Sakura's words, the way she was always prepared to drown him in her love, even though he didn't deserve something so valuable. Always giving him a second option, when it appeared that there was none. Always saying the right words to cause him to doubt himself. Always thinking solely of him and his happiness. She was so…_annoying_.

But he loved annoying.

"Does it mean so much to you?" He looked at her in defeat.

A resolute nod of the head was all it took to win him over, but for extra reassurance, as they set off in the right direction, whilst clutching his arm, "And even if something did go wrong, I'm Tsunade's disciple. If I can bring someone back on an operating table, I'm pretty sure I can deliver a baby."

Just over one month later, Sakura finally gave birth to a baby girl. A tiny little thing that squirmed in Sasuke's arms, and stared fixated by his dark eyes and hair as he absorbed all of his daughters features in return. The beds in Orochimaru's hideout weren't particularly brilliant in terms of quality and comfort, but that certainly wouldn't keep the smile from gracing Sakura's features. She watched on, face flushed and beaded with sweat, when Sasuke pressed his lips to his child's forehead and inhaled her smell. It was a common occurrence in the maternity ward, back at Konoha General Hospital. When a parent wanted to appreciate every part of their newborn offspring, including their scent, it was a sign of genuine, pure love.

"Sarada." Sasuke mumbled, holding their daughter in one arm and taking Sakura's hand with a gentle squeeze. "Your name will be Sarada."

* * *

**A/N: I'd just like to say two things.**

**Firstly, I want to apologise for disappearing for quite a while. Lots of things have happened since my last update, which took up a lot of my time, or distorted my everyday life. I spent a period of time writing two entries for Sasusaku month, a one-shot and a three shot, both of which can be found on my profile, if you're looking for a read. I received my college results, and I'm proud to announce that I now have a place at an elite university in my country for English Literature with Creative writing - a course with only 15 places and a few hundred very talented applicants, so you can imagine how happy I was. However, after that, for personal reasons, I'd dipped in an out of depression for quite a while, and lost almost all motivation to write anything. I feel a bit guilty for not updating, so I made sure that this chapter was a little fluffy and extra long. **

**Secondly, I was slightly worried that Sasuke was too out of character, especially during his tearful reaction. But then I thought to myself, that Sasuke isn't emotionless. He has too much emotion, and it's not beyond him to cry. After all, he cried just thinking about Itachi, and can be seen crying at the very end because Naruto saved him and never gave up on him. This explanation probably seems unnecessary, but I felt like I had to justify why Sasuke behaved so un-Sasuke. And besides, he lost all of his family, so why wouldn't he cry when he knows that he'll have a child. **


	9. Home

Sakura stood in front of the mirror and stared at the second Sakura she saw there. Every day, she'd worked in the hospital, and once in a while she had run errands in the maternity ward. So it was normal. Of course it was normal. It was Society and the magazines in the hospital waiting room that liked to trick women into believing that it wasn't.

"Sakura?"

How long had she been in there? Obviously long enough for Sasuke to grow suspicious, or worry that she'd slipped on wet tiles or something. He tended to worry a lot even though he never showed it, unlike her. Maybe she was just playing hide and seek with him.

"I'm coming now!" she called, hoping that he wouldn't try and pry open the bathroom door.

After one last look at the second Sakura, she turned away, barely able to meet her own gaze any longer. The lacy silk nightgown was slippy when she pulled it on over her head, and it brought back memories of when she'd first bought it whilst out shopping with Ino. It was Ino's crude suggestion to buy it, making a little comment that subliminally implied that Sasuke would like it. That was a few months after the wedding, when they were still in the period of exploring each other's likes and dislikes.

There was a creak of the door, as she shuffled back into the bedroom playing with her fingers in a way that reminded her of Hinata. His eyes met hers immediately from where he lay under the bedcovers, but her stomach only flipped instead of her heart, and she was the first to look away.

"I'm sorry, I just lost track of time."

He was quiet for a minute, but it was difficult to tell whether this was the usual silence that lingered around him, or the way he retreated into deep contemplation. Sakura pulled back the sheets and climbed in beside him, but not quite touching him.

_How unusual_, Sasuke thought and watched how her pink lips crumpled at the edges. She was angry? Upset? With him or with herself? He had minded her incessant clinginess at the very beginning when they were first starting out as genin.

"Get off! Don't hug me!" he'd protested during the bell-test and had grabbed her head with both hands, pushing her as far from him as possible.

But over time, he'd warmed up to her touch, and she knew it.

So why the hell was she being so distant? The muscles of his jaw clenched in frustration and when she rolled over revealing her bare back to him, his eyes burned red. She was rejecting him? Haruno Sakura, the woman who apparently loved him with all her heart, was rejecting him after all these years?

"I'm tired Sasuke. I'm really tired. Can we just go to bed?"

_Sasuke? _He thought, taken aback by her words, _Not Sasuke-kun? Not even Anata? _

Her voice was weary. Weak. The tones in her voice certainly indicated tiredness, but he was Uchiha Sasuke and he'd grown to understand his wife better than that. When he didn't answer, she lifted an arm and switched off the bedside lamp with a flick of her wrist. At once, the room was plunged into darkness.

And then silence.

Sasuke simply watched his wife's pale shoulders rise and fall with her breaths – too steady for someone supposedly on the verge of slumber. It should've been relaxing, laying in bed beside her, but the air around him felt heavy against his skin. Filled with the utmost tension. And all of a sudden, the distance between them was greater than it ever had been before. Normally, Sakura would take any measures to close the gap between them, so it felt strange to him now that she'd changed her mind.

Outside, the crickets chirped from their hiding places in clumps of weed, and somewhere far away, two drunk shinobi cheered having returned from a lengthy mission. In bed, Sasuke reflected on his memories of his family, from before the massacre. He thought about his brother's gentle smile when he was carried home after hours of shiruken training. He thought about the glint of pleasant surprise in his father's eyes, when he'd finally mastered Goukakyuu no Jutsu after a mere week of hard work and determination. But most of all, he thought about his mother's soft voice when she said "Okaeri, Sasuke", and the way that she embraced him and combed her fingers through his hair whilst humming a little tune, and how she always smelled like flour and apples.

Nowadays, Sakura welcomed him home. Sakura _was _home.

But she was no longer welcoming him.

So if home wouldn't welcome him, he decided narrowing his eyes with a fierce determination, then he would have to welcome home. It would take some of his immovable pride and his courage, and he would have to overstep the invisible red line in his head that mustn't be crossed under any circumstances. Uchiha Sasuke was not a soft man, but this was Sakura, and which was more important? The line, or her feelings?

With the stealth that came with being a ninja, he inched toward her side of the bed, being careful not to rustle the duvet too much. Sakura neither turned, nor started by his advancement and Sasuke could only wonder what could've been distracting her enough to cloud her highly trained senses.

Suddenly, there was a tiny sniffle, and he froze in his place.

It was such a familiar noise to him, but not for any good reasons. His stomach lurched and something ached in his chest, like flames that licked and burned him from the inside out. Shaking his head to snap him out of his trance, he quickly stretched over her to turn on the lamp that she'd been so quick to turn off.

When she noticed the navy blue sleeve of his pyjama top, she gasped and buried her head deep into the duvet, which barely managed to shelter her from the yellow glow.

"Sasuke-kun, I'm trying to sleep!" she cried from under the duvet.

_Sasuke-kun…That sounds better._ His nerves had calmed to an extent, and he knew that he hadn't truly lost his wife. She was in there, somewhere, still loving him like she always did.

"Hn. No you're not, and if you keep shrieking like that you'll wake up Sarada."

The mention of their one year old daughter, who remained sleeping soundlessly in the next room silenced her for a second. For the first few months of Sarada's birth before and after they'd returned from their long mission, she'd slept right next to them. In between them to be specific. It was preferable, but then Tsunade kindly warned Sakura that Sarada would eventually get used to their sleeping arrangements and as she grew older, would eventually throw tantrums at the thought of her own bed. As a compromise, Sarada now occupied the bedroom beside theirs, and both doors were kept wedged open in case of nightmares or tears. Sakura's hand snapped out once more and with a flick of her wrist, they were engulfed in darkness again.

Sasuke hissed under his breath and snaked his right arm around the curve of her waist…only for her to slap it away. Briefly, he considered just letting the matter go, but if he did, then she would turn on him the next morning and accuse him of being insensitive. Women were moody and hormonal, as he'd come to learn the hard way. Annoying woman.

In the bed, she shifted further away from him, strikingly aware of how close he was to her. So solid and warm. And he loved her. She knew that. Otherwise he wouldn't have married her, would he? But she wondered, would he still see her _that _way?

When the pads of his fingertips brushed against silk and traced her spine, she realised that it was a bad idea to wear his favourite nightgown to bed. But her other pyjamas needed washing, so what choice did she have? She could only imagine the look on his face if she'd have asked him if she could borrow some of his instead.

"Sasuke-kun, please just let me sleep." She sighed and snuggled deeper into the mattress.

"Tell me why you're crying first."

Sakura tensed, and she heard nothing but the pounding of her heart and the crickets hidden in the reeds. "I'm not crying."

"Tsk. Yes you are."

She huffed and rubbed her face slightly into her pillow, which somehow smelled a little like her husband. "Sasuke-k…_Anata_ I'm not crying."

That was the last straw for him. Putting all his strength into it, he curled his arm around her and dragged her closer to his chest, ignoring the way that she feebly tried to pry his wrists away from her stomach. Of course, he knew that if she was really unhappy with him, she would have pounded him to the ground by now. She was certainly capable of saving herself from his grasp, but she didn't even try. And Sasuke understood that a larger part of her craved his reassurance.

"Hn. _Liar_; your pillow's wet."

"Anata it's nothing, please just go to sleep." Her voice shook, like she was trying to hold back tears, or swallow the lump in her throat.

Through the open doors, Sasuke heard an small exhale and a creak as his daughter turned in her cot. She was most likely being disturbed by their voices. When he next spoke, he made sure that his words were hushed and audible only to Sakura.

"Has someone said something to you? Or done something?"

She shook her head and finally, fresh tears rolled across the bridge of her nose. He felt oddly glad at the sight, knowing that she was probably going to open up to him any time now. It was an unexpectedly nice feeling, being her rock once in a while.

"Anata…"

Sasuke answered with "Hn?" and rested his cheek against her pink hair, smelling the sweetness of her shampoo.

"You know…you know how I got bigger when I was pregnant with Sarada?" The question was merely a whisper now, and he strained to hear it. The subject matter was not an area of his expertise, but he tried to catch her drift.

"Aa."

"Well, you know that it takes a while to look the same as before again?"

Now he was completely lost.

"Sakura," he sighed, tightening his hold on her, "what are you trying to tell me?"

Any other day and she'd roll her eyes at him, but this time, she did nothing but squeeze out another tear and then another. Looking down at her, something inside him twisted painfully.

"I don't look like the people in the magazines anymore." She choked it out at long last, her words breaking up with sobs, sniffles and gasps of breath.

_The people in the magazines?_ He thought, utterly baffled by the nonsense his wife was blubbering out with her tears. And then it hit him, like a slap to the face. _Oh…The magazines…The media…_

"I-I read an article when I w-was in the maternity ward l-last week," she continued in a stuttering mess, which drew him back to the present, "and it s-said that husbands see their w-wives differently after childbirth."

Sasuke's mind had gone blank. The woman was actually worried about her _image_? The notion was silly, to be frank, but a weight lifted from his chest at the knowing that she wasn't angry or upset with him.

She grabbed his hand with hers – she was trembling, he noted – and placed it on her stomach, still bulging beneath her nightgown.

"I-I'm all stretchy and b-big." She made his fingers move with her own so that he could feel where her skin was protruding and where he knew that she had silvery lines now. But he said nothing, and his eyebrows only furrowed and his lips parted in confusion. "And y-you won't see me _t-that_ way again."

This was stupid, he decided. Absolutely stupid. He hesitated for a second before he spoke once more.

"…So?"

Against him, Sakura became rigid. _What did he…_ "W-what do you mean 'so'?"

He shrugged, knowing that she'd feel it. "I don't see your point. You're not a picture in a magazine."

"I know, b-but you won't like me anymore, in y-you know…_that _way."

"Sakura, you're being ridiculous."

As soon as the words were in the air, her eyes narrowed. _Ridiculous? _She'd show him who the ridiculous one was, since he couldn't even comprehend such a simple point which she had so carefully tried to explain to him. _Insensitive _was the word which came to mind_. _Swiftly she twisted herself around until she was facing him, and parted her lips in formation of a comeback.

But he was smirking at her, and she stopped in her tracks. It was the same smirk that she'd seen all those years ago, when he'd left Konoha for the first time. When he'd left her.

_"As expected, you're annoying."_

It wasn't a malicious expression. The softness in his dark eyes told her that much. He was teasing her, for some reason that she couldn't comprehend. But before she could question him, he spoke for her.

"Do you remember what I said on the morning after we got married?"

She nodded, watching him with large green eyes and casting her mind back.

_"I came to feel this way, because you're Sakura."_

He closed his eyes and groaned quietly, knowing now that he couldn't be any further away from his comfort zone. The invisible line was miles behind him. Uchiha Sasuke was not a cuddle bunny, nor a man of mushy words. But if it meant that she'd stop crying…he guessed he'd have to suck it up and deal with his embarrassment.

"Hn. It still stands."

He cracked open one eye to see green and pink, the two colours dulled in the shadows of their bedroom, but full of life, just how he always saw her. And even if her eyes were still glassy, and her pale eyelashes were shiny with wetness, she was smiling. Sakura's smile was just how he believed a smile should be, and like he always did when she smiled, he remembered seeing the exact same expression on his mother's face whenever she stood in the doorway and said "Okaeri, Sasuke".

So he pulled his right hand away from her waist, and flicked the seal on her forehead with two of his fingers, just so that he could see her smile again. When at long last Sakura had curled up alongside him, peaceful and breathing deeply, Sasuke wondered whether Itachi would be proud of him and the home he'd created for himself.

_"Tadaima" _

_"Okaeri" she whispered._

* * *

**A.N: Well I may end this little drabble series/ anthology project here, because I thought that it would be nice to end it with Sasuke thinking of Itachi. thank you very much for reading xxx**

**I have a new AU SS fanfiction up now called 'Haunted'. It has ghost-Sakura and depressed-Sasuke. It doesn't have many views and I really am trying hard with it as I've been trying to improve on my writing. I'd like to know whether or not I've been successful in my attempt to improve, so please read it and let me know whether the style is better or worse than in Okaeri! **

**Thank you to those who do. I appreciate it. **


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